ON THE RUN
by Donna McIntosh
Summary: Ennis finds out there is more to fear than possible gay bashers.


Title: ON THE RUN

Author: Donna McIntosh

Email: 

Fandom: Brokeback Mountain

Rated: R FRAO

Warnings: None

Disclaimers: I do not own Brokeback Mountain and I make no money off these stories.

Summary: Ennis learns the real meaning of fear.

Beta: Thank you Janie for all your help. You are deeply appreciated!

ON THE RUN

"Well, I'll tell you, I was shocked! I never suspected in a million years that Randall was queer! Daddy says he knew all along. Said he could tell just by lookin at him. Poor LaShawn! I just don't know what that poor girl is gonna do. She'll never be able to hold her head up in this town again." Lureen took a breath and sipped her coffee before reaching across the breakfast table and swatting the newspaper down from in front of her husband's face. "Are you listenin to me?"

"Yes, I'm listenin," Jack said and shook his paper straight again.

"Daddy says they ought to stick him in one of those places – you know a kind a hospital where they give them shock treatment and drugs and stuff. He says it costs a pretty penny but of course, LaShawn can afford it. I gave her Karl's number. That's all I can do for her."

"It ain't none of our business, Lureen."

"It is so too!" Lureen's cup clattered into the saucer. "She was my very best friend! Now I can't even go over to her house!"

"Why the hell not? It ain't like she's all the sudden got some kind of fatal disease or somthin." Jack folded the paper and set it aside with the rest of Sunday morning supplements.

"You never can tell! I mean, he could a got some nasty disease and passed it on to her! I'll never set foot in that house again!"

"You're being ridiculous, Lureen. LaShawn has been your best friend for years and years now and you're just gonna dump her 'cause her husband stepped out on her?" Jack got up and got himself another cup of coffee.

"Well Daddy says that that kind always get sick and die young 'cause a what they do. He says she could catch it too from sleepin with him. And it ain't like he just diddled some bar girl somewhere, Jack, he's been doin it with other men!"

"Your daddy don't know everything, Lureen. And didn't you tell me a hundred times how much you liked LaShawn and how much fun the two of you have together?"

"You want **me** to get sick?"

"Lureen! We're talkin about sexually transmitted diseases here – stds. You plannin on sleepin with LaShawn?"

"Jack Twist!" Lureen jumped up, knocking her coffee cup over. "That's the most disgusting thing I've ever heard come out a your mouth! NO! I don't plan on sleepin with LaShawn! But she could … I don't know … cough on me or somethin. I just know I'm not takin any chances. I'll find myself another best friend. As far as I'm concerned, LaShawn is history." She carried her cup to the sink and brought back the rag to wash the table where she had spilt the coffee.

"She hired a private detective." Lureen said as an after thought.

"Huh?" Jack looked up.

"It all started last spring. Remember when I was so worried and thought maybe she might be sick?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"Well that's when she found out. It seems her sister Janine lives in Dallas. Well, Janine actually saw him!"

"Saw him what?" Jack asked, his mind racing trying to remember when and where he and Randall had been together last.

"She saw him outside this queer place."

"What was she doin at a place like that?" Jack had to ask.

"Janine's husband's little brother has a friend who's like that … queer … or gay or whatever you wanna call it. He was supposed to pick some friend a his up there and his car broke down so Janine drove him over there to pick this guy up. While he was inside gettin his friend, Janine saw Randall and some guy comin out the door. She said they said a real friendly like good-bye and Randall got in his truck and drove off."

"Well, maybe he was just meetin someone there on business." Jack tried to shrug it off.

"Oh no! I said that very same thing when LaShawn told me but she says that Janine saw them huggin and then saw them kiss! Can you believe that? Kissin! Right there in the parkin lot in front of God and everybody!"

"Lots a people kiss, Lureen. It ain't no crime." Jack said.

"Janine was only two car spaces away from them. She said they wasn't just kissin, they was … tonguin. You ever hear of anything so disgustin? I nearly lost my lunch yesterday when LaShawn told me."

"So if her sister saw all this, why did LaShawn feel the need to hire a private detective?"

"Cause she wants proof. She wants pictures so she can take him to court and dump the bastard and not give him a penny. She says she's sure now that the only reason he married her was for her money."

"So this detective, he's been followin Randall around takin pictures?" Jack gulped.

"Uh huh. LaShawn says it's costin her a fortune but it will be worth it in the long run. If she divorced Randall without the proof she'd have to pay him a huge settlement."

"So she's already filed?"

"Oh no. She don't have the proof yet but her lawyer said he'd have it for her in a few days. Says he talked with the private detective and he said he's got all the proof she'll need."

"Well, like I said, Lureen. It ain't none of our business." Jack pulled a beer out of the refrigerator and headed for his study. He no sooner got sat down behind his desk when his phone rang.

"Hello?" Jack answered.

"Jack, it's me. Can you talk?" Randal asked.

"Uh huh."

"I got some bad news."

"I just heard."

"What did you hear?"

"Lureen says that you were seen outside a Dallas bar with some guy and that she's had you followed for the last couple a months."

"Sorry, Jack. I got careless."

"What are you gonna do?"

"I already did it. I packed up and moved to Tulsa. That's where I'm callin from. I got a good friend up here with a thousand-acre ranch. He's been wantin me to move up here but I always put him off."

"It's good you got a place to go."

"Uh huh. I'm sorry as I can be about all this, Jack, but if they been followin me for months …"

"Yeah, I get the picture."

"Do you, Jack? Do you really? If this detective is any good at all he'll have pictures of the two of us."

"That's what I figured."

"What are you gonna do?"

"Don't know yet."

"You could always come up here. It's a big place and I know my friend would hire you on in a minute once he got a look at those dreamy blue eyes. He's a real nice guy and real … open minded about such things."

"No thanks, Randall. If I go anywhere, it'll be back to Wyomin."

"You mean to your hunting buddy?"

"I mean to Wyomin."

"I hear you. It's none of my business. I'm sure sorry things turned out this way, Jack. I really care for you a lot. The two of us would make a great team but with us both out of the money now … well, you know how it is. I do have expensive tastes."

"Yes, Randall. I know."

"Well, if you change your mind, we're in the phone book. It's the Whitley ranch just south of Tulsa off a highway 44."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

"Okay. No hard feelins then?"

"No, Randall. No hard feelings." Jack gave a disgusted smirk and hung the phone up.

"Shit!" Jack said as he leaned back in his chair with his hands laced together behind his head. "What am I going to do now?"

xxxxxx

At work the next morning, Jack sat at his desk and wondered what he should do. Apparently the detective hadn't turned in his report yet or L.D. would have heard and already been in there after him with a shotgun. Thank goodness he was in some long meeting with Lureen and some out of town business associates. It was supposed to be a long day of meetings, lunch and more meetings. They weren't expected back until late afternoon.

Jack was about to leave for lunch when Karl Miller, L.D.'s lawyer rapped at his door and gave a short wave through the window.

"Hey," Jack said as he opened the door and let him in. "L.D. and Lureen are both gone for most of the day. Don't expect them back till late afternoon." Jack greeted him with a smile and a warm handshake.

"I didn't come to see them, Jack, I came to see you. You have a few minutes?"

"Certainly." Jack began to get nervous. "Have a seat. What can I do for you?" Jack sat back down behind his desk as the attorney sat in front of him.

The attorney un-snapped his briefcase and pulled out a large brown envelope and pushed it across the desk to Jack.

Jack stared at it for a moment then picked it up and opened it. There he was going into a motel room with Randall, standing outside a bar with Randall, sitting up close next to Randall in a booth while the male couple sitting across from them were kissing. They were gazing into each others eyes and Randall had his hand over the top of Jack's. Another photo showed the two of them dancing together.

He had seen enough and shoved them back into the envelope.

"I'm sorry, Jack."

"The old man seen these yet?" Jack asked.

"No. Not yet. I just got them from the detective yesterday. No one has seen them but me."

"What are you gonna do with 'em?"

"I don't exactly have a choice here, Jack. I've worked for the Newsome's for over forty years and my father before me. I've got to turn these over. I just wanted to give you a heads-up here so you weren't caught blind-sided."

"Well, I appreciate that, Karl." Jack said as he drummed his fingers on the desk top.

"I can give you a few days, maybe stall around a week but that's about it." He stood to leave.

Jack walked with him to the door. "No need to jeopardize yourself in this mess. I'll talk with Lureen tonight. If you could just hold off until tomorrow, I'd appreciate it."

"I can do that." The attorney agreed readily. "Listen; if you need a good divorce attorney, this is a friend of mine." He handed Jack a business card. "I'm sure he could get you a sizeable settlement."

"No, Karl. But thanks. I wouldn't do that to Lureen. She's been too good to me for too many years. There won't be any need for a settlement. I'll leave this marriage with just what I brought into it – nothing."

"Keep the card, Jack. You might need it if things get nasty."

Jack stuck the card in his jeans pocket.

The attorney stuck out his hand and Jack took it. "I always liked you, Jack. You were the best thing that ever happened to Lureen. I hope she remembers that when her dad gets hold of this."

"That's gonna be the toughest part," Jack said with a sad little grin. "I hate givin him the satisfaction."

"Yeah, I can understand that. I hate that part too."

"Well, I won't be around to hear him gloat. I just hope he's not too hard on Lureen."

"Oh he'll give her a litany of 'I told you so's' but she's a pretty strong woman now. I think she can handle him."

"I hope so. Thank you again, Karl." Jack gave the old man an affectionate pat on the shoulder.

"You take care of yourself now." The attorney said and left.

Jack didn't eat lunch that afternoon nor dinner either. He took the few things from his office that he wanted to keep, stopped off at the bank and withdrew all his savings and headed home to pack. He took the truck out to be serviced, decided on a new set of tires while he had the money, and chatted with other customers while he waited for the work to be done.

Lureen got home at 8:30.

"Jack, honey, I'm so sorry I didn't call but we were just so busy talking and makin plans and before I knew it they were servin dinner. You did eat somethin, didn't you? I really like this new district manager and he has the most exciting plans …" She stopped talking long enough to light a cigarette and got a look at his face. "What's wrong? You sick or somethin?"

"Lureen, honey, come on over here and sit down. We need to talk." Jack reached a hand out to her and she took it.

"What is it? What's happened? Is it Bobby?"

"No, honey. Bobby's fine."

"Well what is it? You're scarin me to death!" She sat down on the couch beside him.

"I got some news that's gonna be hard for you to take. I need you to be strong for me now, like I know you got it in you to be."

"It's Bobby! He's hurt! I knew I never should have agreed to let him go off with those Kellehers. They're a wild bunch, they are! How bad is it?"

Jack shook his head and felt really guilty for the very first time. Lureen had been a good wife to him and a wonderful mother to Bobby and this is the way he repaid her.

"Jack! Tell me!"

"It ain't Bobby. It's me."

"You? But you look fine! You're not sick or somethin? Did you go see a doctor and he gave you bad news about somethin? Whatever it is, we'll get you fixed. We'll get the best doctors …"

Jack cut her off. "Lureen, I'm not sick and I don't have any diseases or nothin like that."

"Then what is it?"

"I got a leave – for good – right now, tonight."

"Jack Twist, you tell me what this is all about and you tell me right now? You go and get some little gal pregnant? We can get that taken care of. I know a doctor …"

"NO! Lureen, listen to me. I'm not the man you thought I was." Words deserted him now and he struggled to explain. With a sigh, he gave up the fight, "I'm like your daddy always said I was. I'm not worth the ground you walk on."

"Jack, you are not makin sense. What are you talkin about? Why do you have to leave? Where are you goin and when will you be comin back?"

"I got no place to go, Lureen. I guess I'll just head on up to Lightnin Flat and stay there until I decide what to do."

She dashed her cigarette out in the ashtray and began to pace the floor. "Jack, I need to know what's goin on here. You're talkin about leavin and you're not makin any sense. Did somethin happen to your daddy? Is he sick or somethin?"

"Lureen, remember the talk we had about LaShawn?"

"Of course I do. Are you mad at me for not wantin to be her friend any more?"

"No. You pick your own friends. I got nothin to do with that."

"Then why bring her up right now?"

"You said she hired a private detective."

"I did."

Jack was pacing the floor now. "Well they got pictures all right. Pictures of Randall. Pictures of Randall … and me."

"Pictures of Randall … and you? Well of course there'd be pictures of the two of you. You were friends. You spent a lot of time together. You went fishin and … and …"

She stopped dead in her tracks and faced him. "Jack. You're not sayin … for God's sakes, Jack! It sounds like you're sayin that you and Randall … you and he … oh my God! Tell me you're not sayin what it sounds like!" She grabbed him by the arm.

"Lureen, I'm so sorry." Jack hung his head and couldn't look her in the eye. He never even saw her swing and the blow nearly knocked him off his feet.

"YOU DID NOT! YOU DID NOT SLEEP WITH RANDALL MALONE!!! SAY IT! SAY IT! SAY THIS IS ALL SOME KIND OF NASTY LITTLE JOKE! YOU'RE MAD AT ME 'CAUSE I DIDN'T MAKE IT HOME FOR DINNER? IS THAT WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT?" She screamed at him.

Jack backed away from her a few steps, his face stinging from the slap.

"I got my stuff packed. I'll take off now. I just didn't want to leave without tellin you good bye and thankin you for all the years you been so good to me." Jack headed for the hallway.

"Jack Twist, you come back here this minute!" She followed him out into the foyer. "You ain't leavin here until you tell me what this is all about."

Jack looked at her with misery on his face. "Lureen, this is the worst thing I ever done in my life, hurtin you like this. I never should a married you but Bobby was on the way and …"

"I know Bobby was on the way but what's that got to do with anything else?"

"Lureen, I'm gay! Or, to be more accurate, I'm bi-sexual. I like men and women both."

"You do not! I don't believe one word of this, Jack. You're not queer or gay or whatever. I should know that better than any one else."

"You know for a fact that I like bein with women. Randall knows for a fact that I like bein with men. And as soon as you see the detective's reports you'll know its all true."

Jack walked into his study and started carrying out his bags and sat them by the door.

"Jack, honey. Wait a minute now. If you and Randall did … fool around … that's no big thing. We can send you to one of those places. They can fix you up so that won't ever happen again. We can keep it quiet. No one will ever have to know."

"Lureen … I am what I am. I always have been and I always will be. Nothing is gonna change that. I'm just sorrier than I can say that you're gonna be embarrassed by all this when the reports come out."

"How did you know what this report is going to say?"

"Randall called me. He said there was a report and that they had pictures."

"I thought he took off somewhere. No one even knows where he is."

"He called me to warn me."

"That was nice of him." She said sarcastically as she paced around the foyer. "We can just destroy the report. Burn the pictures. No one will ever know, Jack. We can fix this."

"LaShawn will know. She'll see the report and then it will be common knowledge."

"I'll call Karl. Maybe he can stop it. He's handlin LaShawn's divorce."

"It'll get out sooner or later, honey. It's best I leave know before your daddy comes after me with that shot gun a his."

"Jack, I don't want you to leave!" She wailed as the tears began to stream down her face.

"Lureen, you're the best thing that ever happened to me and I won't never forget how you took me in and gave me this fine home and a beautiful son. I didn't deserve that but you gave it to me anyway."

"I love you, Jack. I always have from the first minute I laid eyes on you."

"I'm so sorry, honey." He held her in his arms while she cried against his chest.

"Then stay with me. We can work this out."

"No we can't. I ain't hidin what I am any more. I hate livin a lie."

"Well we can fix you so you won't have those … urges any more. It's done all the time. We'll find the best place in the country – in the world. I don't care how much it costs. We'll fix you."

"Lureen, I ain't in need of fixin."

"You don't even want to get fixed?"

"I ain't broken. I am what I am and I ain't about to change it."

"Well what are you gonna do? You can't live with your folks. You know you'd hate that."

"I'll figure somethin out. Don't you worry none about me. You go ahead and get your divorce. You need me to sign anythin, just send it up to the folks place and I'll sign it and send it right back. I don't want nothin but just my savings and my campin equipment and my truck."

"Don't be silly. I'll see that you get a nice settlement." She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.

"No, Lureen. I don't deserve nothin and I don't want nothin. I didn't marry you for the money; I married you 'cause it was the right thing to do for Bobby. I just hope he's old enough now at 18 to understand a little and not hate me."

"He won't hate you. He loves you too much. So do I." The tears started again.

"I'm sorry. I can say that a million times and it still won't tell you how sorry I am that I let you down like this. You're my sweet girl, Lureen, and you always have been. If things were different, I'd never let you go."

"Then don't! Stay here and we'll work somethin out." She pleaded.

"I can't. Nothing is going to change the fact that I'm gay. I can't change that and I wouldn't even if I could."

"Jack …"

"I'll be at the folks if you need anythin. You can write or call me. I'll be there as long as I can stand it – probably a couple weeks or so then I'll get out and find myself something to do. Probably hire on at a ranch somewhere or maybe get a job in town. I don't know yet." He picked up his luggage and she followed him out to his truck.

"I'm goin to call Karl right now and see if he can get a hold of that report and burn it before LaShawn ever sees it."

"Won't make no difference, Lureen. It's out in the open now and I got a leave."

"You could always come back." She said hopefully as he climbed into the truck and rolled down the window.

"I won't be comin back, honey, unless Bobby needs me for somethin. Once you get to thinkin about things I'm sure you'll agree it's best for all concerned."

"No I won't!" She insisted.

"I'm sorry, Lureen." He gave her a little wave, drove away and wiped the tears of guilt from his eyes.

xxxxxx

He arrived in Lightning Flat to find his father out front with a chain wrapped around a tree stump and hooked to his old pickup and trying to pull it out. The tires spun in the dirt and he was getting no where.

Jack drove up and got out. Took the chain from the old pickup and connected to the back of his pickup, got in and pulled the stump out of the ground. The old man stood there pulling the chain loose and tossing it in the back of his truck.

"What're you doin here?"

"I got fed up with Texas."

"She throw your ass out?"

"Nope. I told her I was missin Wyomin and wanted to move back. She said she'd call her lawyer and make it legal."

"You figurin on stickin around here then?"

"Don't know. I figured I'd visit with Momma a bit until I make up my mind on what I wanna do and while I was doin that, I'd give you a hand around the place. That'd be all right?"

"It's gonna rain. You best get this hole filled in." The old man said and tossed Jack the shovel.

xxxxxxx

Jack stretched the phone cord as far as it would go so it would reach the kitchen table. He sat in the dark and dialed the number by just the reflected light from the hallway as his folks sat in the front room watching TV.

"Hello?" Ennis answered with a loud belch as he sat down in his recliner.

"Ennis, it's me. Can you talk?"

"Jack! Sure enough. What's goin on?"

"Some big changes, Cowboy. I moved back up to Lightenin Flat."

"What? How come? You and Lureen get into it?"

"It's a long story and I really don't want to get into it over the phone. I know we ain't scheduled to see each other again for another four months but I really need to talk to you about stuff."

"Jack, I can't get off work till November."

"You won't need to take off work. We could meet somewhere just for the weekend. Could we work that? I'm close enough now that it would just be a short drive. Maybe we could meet half-way? You ever been to Buffalo?"

"Yeah, I been. You sound serious, Bud. You in trouble?"

"Not as long as old L.D. can't find me."

"This don't sound good."

"Will you meet me? I got a see you. We need to talk."

"Someone find out about … you and me?" Ennis stood up and began to pace.

"Nah. Don't worry. I'll be careful and make sure I'm not followed."

"People followin you, Jack?"

"I don't think so. Not up here."

"Jesus, Jack!"

"Now, Ennis, don't panic. Nobody knows nothin and it's gonna stay that way – I promise you."

"You can't promise that, Jack. If one person knows – a hundred people will know."

"Ennis, I'm sorry. I got careless. But nobody's gonna find out about us. We're too careful. Will you meet me Saturday?"

"Where you wanna meet?"

"How about that campground just west of Buffalo. We been in that one before. I'll meet you all the way in the back by that little area with the picnic tables and rest rooms."

"Okay."

"I'll keep a close eye out, Cowboy, and find us a spot that's good and private."

"What time Saturday?"

"I'll leave here at first light. You get there as soon as you can."

"Okay. I'll see you Saturday then."

"Ennis, don't worry. This'll be a good thing – me bein closer and all. I'll find a job somewhere and this'll work out just fine."

"See you Saturday, Bud." Ennis said and hung up the phone. He leaned back against the sink and lit a cigarette. He didn't move until it was completely gone. He was rigid with fear. Someone knew about Jack! How did they find out? And what were they going to do about it? If Jack was followed down in Texas, could he be followed up here in Wyoming too? And if Jack thought his moving up here meant that they would start seeing each other every weekend, he was going to be disappointed. Ennis would have to set him straight on that. He made a mental note to get his rifle out and clean it tomorrow after work and then he went to bed.

xxxxxx

The next evening after work Ennis headed home tried to remember if he had enough gun oil left in his kit for one more cleaning. He was scolding himself for not cleaning it after the last trip. He had meant to but just never got around to it.

He flipped the windshield wipers on and was fiddling with the heater control when he made the turn about half-way between the ranch and home and there on the side of the road a big black Cadillac was stuck in the ditch that ran along the side of the road.

"Jesus!" He swore and hit the break to slow down and swerved around the back end of the car that was still half out in the road. He pulled over and got out. He walked back to the car and noticed four men in suits pacing back and forth along the highway trying to decide what to do.

"Everybody all right?" Ennis asked.

"Yes, nobody's hurt. We just got the fuckin car stuck in the fuckin ditch. You got any idea where the nearest phone is so we can call a fuckin wrecker?"

"Don't need no phone. I can pull you out. I need someone to stand out in the street just around that curve though in case any traffic comes this way. We don't want any more a wreck than we already got here."

Ennis got back in his truck and re-positioned it behind the car then got out. He got a chain out of his truck and crawled under the back end of the car and secured it. Then he secured the other end to the hitch on his pick up. He got back in his truck and in a few minutes he had the car back up on the road again. He was unhooking the chain when he noticed the license plate numbers. He paid no attention to the letters but the numbers were 913 – Jenny's birthday – September 13th. He'd have to remember to buy a card as it was only a few weeks away.

He was about to leave after tossing the chain into the back of the pickup when the back window of the car was rolled down and he could see another man was sitting there. He hadn't even noticed someone was still in the car.

"Here's a little something for your trouble." The man was holding out a bill.

"That ain't necessary, Sir. I'm glad I could help." Ennis said as he walked up to the window and spoke to the man.

"Nonsense! I insist. No telling how long we would have been delayed if you hadn't come along." He reached out and stuffed the bill into Ennis' jacket pocket. "I owe you and I always pay my debts."

The other men all got into the car and were off before Ennis even made it back to his truck. Strange bunch he thought and put them out of his mind.

xxxxxx

Ennis was shocked the next morning while he was getting ready for work and listening to the news on the TV. The cops were looking for a black Cadillac that was involved in a murder up near Thermopolis. They gave the license number and Ennis froze where he stood. It was DSV 913. Anybody who had seen this vehicle was to report it immediately to the police.

Ennis grabbed his jacket and headed to the police station. He told his story three times to three different people and he was asked to wait in another room until they got back to them. Soon enough, two men in suits came in and started questioning him. He told his story again and the men walked away a bit and were discussing it among them selves.

"We still got no proof. What if this guy is some nut who just wants to get his picture in the paper?"

"It's all we got. He looks honest enough to me." The other man was saying.

"But would he stand up in court? Would a jury believe him? We need proof!"

"Excuse me," Ennis butted in. "You need proof that I saw that man in the Cadillac?"

"Yeah, Buddy, we do. You don't happen to have any on you; do you?" The F.B.I. man asked sarcastically.

"Can you get fingerprints off a dollar bill?" Ennis asked.

"Huh?" The first guy asked. "You got a dollar bill he touched?"

"In my pocket. I forgot to tell you that part. After I pulled 'em out a the ditch, some guy in the back seat a the car rolled down his window and tried to pay me for helpin 'em. I told him no but he stuck a bill in my jacket pocket and said he always paid his debts."

"You saw him? You can identify Marco?"

"He didn't give me no name. But if I was to see a picture a him, I'd know if it was him or not. And I ain't touched that bill so if you can get the fingerprints off a it …" Ennis patted his jacket pocket to make sure the bill was still there.

"Here. They shoved a photo in front of Ennis. "Is this the guy you saw?"

"That's him. Sure enough." Ennis nodded.

One of the men pulled out a pair of rubber gloves and put them on and carefully reached into Ennis's jacket pocket and pulled out the bill. That was the first time that Ennis saw it since it had been stuck in there the night before and he saw that it was a hundred dollar bill. He was stunned. If he had known that, he might not have been so quick to turn it over. A hundred dollars was a lot of money!

"Get this off to the lab." The one man who seemed to be in charge handed the bill to the other man after dropping it into a plastic evidence bag.

"You'd be willing to swear in court about everything you just told us?"

"Well, sure. I just told you what happened. Can I go now? I'm already late for work."

"No, not just yet. I'll get back to you in a few minutes."

No one came back for more than an hour. Ennis was pacing the floor, worried about being late for work. He had never been late before. Mr. Stoutamire hated it when anyone was late and he'd been really grumpy lately.

The door finally opened and three came in this time. They were all smiles and patting him on the back and walking him out front. He didn't really know what was going on. Someone said something about him making an official statement and they put him in the back seat of a car with a man sitting on either side of him. Next thing he knew, they were pulling up at the Riverton airport and getting out.

They walked him up to the plane and he protested every step of the way. It did no good. In minutes he was on board and the plane was taking off. He didn't even know where they were when they landed at LAX. He was too frazzled by his first terrifying airplane ride. He just kept telling them that he needed to get to work and they kept telling him they needed his statement first.

Next thing he knew he was locked up tight in a hotel room and they were using words like 'protective custody' and 'witness protection'. No matter how he swore and pleaded with them, they refused to give him access to a phone.

He settled into days and nights of watching cable TV – no local channels were available to him. He read some of the magazines they brought to him and even found some paperbacks with western stories that he read. Mostly though, he paced the floor and swore.

He didn't know how many weeks had passed when they finally came for him. They brought in a suit for him to change into and told him he was going to tell his story to a judge.

Finally! He was happy enough to get into the strange clothes if it meant he could tell his story and go home.

They whisked him off to an underground entrance to the back of the courthouse. There were guards all over the place. More policemen than he had ever seen and people in suits running all over the place.

They got him into a little room and he was introduced to a lawyer who gave him a brief rundown of what was going to happen.

"We've got it all set up so he can't even see you. You'll be testifying in a little booth. They can hear your voice but they can't see you."

"What difference does it make? They already seen me?"

"They saw you one rainy evening at dusk. As far as we know, they don't even know your name."

"They never asked and I never said." Ennis assured him.

"Good. Now once you're in the booth, I'll ask you to tell the court exactly what happened. Then you just tell the story exactly like you've told before. Don't leave anything out – especially the part about the hundred dollars."

"All right. Then can I go home?"

"You'll probably be asked a few question by the opposing attorney. Just answer whatever they ask as truthfully as you can remember."

"Then I can go?"

"You'll be free to leave the courtroom immediately after you testify."

"Good. Cause I got a get on home."

"Everything will be taken care of just as soon as you testify." He was assured more than once.

He waited for two hours before they finally called him. It went exactly as the attorney told him. He was led into a deserted court room and into the small enclosed booth that was placed up next to the judge's bench. There were guards standing all around. A was a chair inside and Ennis sat down. Soon he could hear people coming back into the courtroom and could hear the Bailiff call court to order and he was sworn in.

In a few minutes he heard the attorney's voice and asked to tell his story. He did so as quickly as he could. Another voice, the other attorney, asked him a few questions – could he be absolutely sure he identified the man correctly, and was he sure of the license plate number. Ennis answered confidently that he was positive of what he saw.

Soon enough they were clearing the courtroom and Ennis was escorted, within a crowd of men in suits, to the basement and into the car and off to the airport. He was relieved and glad to be heading home again.

"If I'd a known it'd take that long, I'd never a come forward." Ennis was tellin the man sitting next to him.

"These things take time." He was told

He was hustled onboard an airplane and once again he was up above the clouds and rigid with fear for the next several hours. When the plane landed, he was stunned to see he was not in Riverton but in Topeka, Kansas.

"There must be some mistake. I need to get to Riverton. Riverton, Wyomin." He was trying to tell the men accompanying him. He was hustled into a car and off they went.

After a thirty minutes, they drove up a long driveway and got out in front of a little farm house and went inside. The man in charge was the only one to come inside with him. He handed Ennis the keys to the house and said. "This is your home now."

"This ain't my home. My home is in Riverton and I need to be gettin back there right now." Ennis refused to take the keys so the man tossed them on a table.

"Your home in Riverton no longer exists. Neither does your job at the Stoutamire ranch. That life is completely finished. This house is yours, that pickup in the driveway is yours and there was a substantial reward that has been deposited in the local bank in your new name."

"New name? What the hell are you talkin about?"

"Your new name is Bo Jenkins. He handed Ennis a driver's license with a photo of him on it and the name of Bo Jenkins. Here are your bank papers and the deed to this farm. It's all paid off. You can do anything you want with it. It's yours."

"I need to go home!" Ennis insisted and tried to hand the papers back but the man walked towards the door.

"Due to the nature of this case, we will keep you under guard until we are assured that no one knows about you or your whereabouts. You'll be perfectly safe here, Bo. Just don't try and contact anyone from your past. It's too dangerous. You, and they, could end up just as dead as that woman in Thermopolis." He said and walked out the door. Visions of the photos that he'd been shown of the poor woman who had been tortured and butchered, passed before his eyes and he cringed.

Then he was alone. He wandered around the place and found it to be completely furnished, dishes in the cabinets and food in the refrigerator. There were even clothes hanging in the closet and in the dresser drawers – all in his correct size. He paced the floor and tried to think what to do.

xxxxxx

"Jack? It's me."

"Son of a bitch, Ennis! Where the hell you been? I been tryin to find you for months!"

"Jack, listen. I can't talk very long. I need you. I need you bad."

"Well why the hell didn't you meet me then? How come you didn't write me or call or somethin? I been worried sick somethin happened to you!

"Somethin did happen, Jack. I got me a whole peck a trouble and I don't know which way to turn."

"What is it?"

"I saw something I wasn't supposed to. Shit, Jack. I think I got people after me now and they're playin for keeps. They find me, I'm dead!"

"Shit! Where are you? I'll come get you."

"Jack, I need you bad, but you might be walkin right into some real bad trouble."

"I don't give a damn about the trouble. Just tell me where you are and I'll come right now."

"Jesus Jack!" Ennis had to be quiet for a few minutes as a group of girls came past him giggling and headed into the women's restroom.

"Who's that? Where are you?"

"Jack-in-the-Box on Browning Street, Topeka, Kansas."

"KANSAS? What the hell are you doin in Kansas?"

"Like I said, it's a long scary story and I ain't got time to tell you right now. I need to hire someone to help me and I want that someone to be you if you're sure you want a get mixed up in my mess."

"I'll be on the next plane!"

"NO! You can't take no plane, Jack. You got a give your name on an airplane."

"I'll drive then."

"Jack, I got people after me who're lookin to kill me and anyone who tries to help me. You got a be more careful than you ever been in your life and you might not ever be able to go back to Wyomin again. You sure you still want a do this?"

"YES!"

"Okay then. This is how I think you should do this. Don't take nothin, just get in your truck and head for the nearest big town. When you get there sell your pickup and get a bus ticket. They don't ask nothin at the bus stations – just as long as you got the money for the ticket."

"Okay. If that's what you think is safest."

"Don't tell nobody you're goin anywhere. Shit, Jack. They could be lookin for you right now so watch your back."

"How could they be lookin for me?"

"They got ways of findin this stuff out. You watch yourself, you hear?"

"I hear you. Are you sure you'll be all right until I get there?"

"Yeah. I'm all right for now but things just don't feel right. Hair on the back a my neck is standin straight up. I need you, Jack. I ain't never been this scared before in my life."

"Maybe you should call the police?"

"NO! That would only make matters worse. They got people everywhere. I got a go now Jack. The guy watchin me might get suspicious."

"You got someone watchin you?"

"Uh huh. He's supposed to be guardin me but I don't like the looks a him."

"Call the police then!"

"No, I can't. You just get yourself here and we'll decide what to do."

"Okay, okay. How will I contact you when I get there?"

"The Greyhound Bus Station is just a block down on Browning Street from the Jack-in-the-Box. That's what give me the idea. I come in here for lunch and I seen the bus pull in. The waitress said a bus comes in from the west everyday at 12:30. She said that's when business really gets busy around here. I'll be here every day for lunch and hang out as long as I can waitin for you."

"I'll be there tomorrow."

"I been watchin and I seen a group a people usually get off the bus and walk over here for lunch. Wait a while until they head in this direction and you go around the back of the building and come in from the other direction so it'll look like you just happened to get here at the same time and not like you got off the bus. We'll make like I met you here at Jack-in-the-Box and hired you."

"You got someone watchin you right now?"

"Uh huh. They're with me 24/7. They said I couldn't get in touch with anyone that I know – no relatives, no friends, nobody."

"Where you stayin then? You got a place?"

"Oh, yeah. I got a place. You just get here so we can figure out what the hell to do."

"I'll be there tomorrow on that noon bus. Count on it."

"Don't come in carryin no luggage or they'll figure out I sent for you and, for God's sake, Jack, don't tell anyone your name. From now on you're Buddy … Buddy … a … Brown. I heard tell there are millions of Brown so that will make it next to impossible to trace you."

"This sounds really serious, Ennis. You sure you shouldn't just go to the police?"

"Jack, they're some of the ones I'm afraid of!"

"Oh shit. Okay. You just hold on. I'll get there soon as I can."

"Be careful, Jack. I mean it more than I ever have before. These people mean business and they got people all over the country – everywhere."

"I will. See you tomorrow. You stay safe 'till then."

"I will. See you tomorrow."

xxxxxx

The next day Ennis sat down at the table next to the window so he could watch the street. He could see the bus station easily. Jack would be there shortly. He would help him figure out what he should do. Just a little more time now. He couldn't bring himself to eat much. He was too excited but he did force himself to take one bite and he nibbled on some French fries.

There it was! The bus pulled in and he held his breath as the passengers streamed out. Some went inside and others headed in his direction – towards Jack-in-the-Box. At first he didn't see him and thought that maybe he'd missed the bus but then he saw him. There he is!

Ennis almost tipped over his soda when he saw him. He watched as Jack crossed the street and headed in the direction he had told him. Ennis took a quick look towards Wilson the man assigned to him who was sitting across the street in his car waiting for Ennis to come out. He was watching the group from the bus station approach the front door but they all looked harmless enough so he stayed where he was.

A few minutes later he saw Jack walk in the side door. Jack walked over to the table and sat across from Ennis. "You all right?" He asked as he scanned the crowded restaurant.

"Uh huh. See the black Ford across the street?"

"Who is it?"

"My guard. He's supposed to be protectin me."

"Jesus, Ennis, what's this all about?"

"I can't get into it here."

"Well let's go then."

"No. I'm supposed to be talkin to you. Seein if you're someone I could hire. We got a sit here a bit."

"Okay. I guess nothin could happen right here in broad daylight. You mind if I grab a sandwich?"

"No, that's a good idea. Sometimes he comes in and gets stuff to eat. It'd look better if you were eatin."

Jack went up front and ordered a sandwich. By the time he got his soda and napkins his sandwich was ready and he carried it back to Ennis' table.

"First thing we got a do is remember not to use our real names. You're Buddy and they give me the name of Bo Jenkins."

"Bo? That's a stupid name. How come they call you that?"

"I don't know. Just eat. I'm so glad you're here. I can't tell you how scared I am."

Jack took a big bite out of his sandwich and stared at him. "How long we gonna have to sit here? I'd sure like to get someplace private where we can talk."

"Finish your sandwich then we'll leave."

They forced themselves to sit there fifteen minutes before they got up and headed outside. Ennis walked them to his pickup and they got inside and started out – the black Ford following along a discrete distance behind.

"Shit, Ennis – I mean Bo. What the hell is going on here?" Jack asked as he twisted around to see the Ford following them.

"God, Jack – Buddy. I ain't never been so glad to see anybody in my whole life!" He reached over and squeezed Jack's arm. "I got so much to tell you its gettin all jumbled up in my head just tryin to get it all out at once."

"You said this guy is the police and your scared a him?"

"Not so much this one but the other two. They got four a them watchin me day and night – protectin me – they say."

"Portectin you? From what? Who? And if they're protectin you; why are you afraid a them?"

"I just testified in court and got some big important guy sent to jail."

"You did WHAT?"

"It all started that next day after we talked. I was drivin home from work …" Ennis explained about pulling the car out of the ditch and seeing the man in the news the next morning and going to the police and being taken into protective custody.

"So this is protective custody?" Jack asked as Ennis pulled the truck into the driveway and rode up to the house with the black Ford following them all the way.

"Yep. This is supposed to make me feel safe." They got out of the car and Wilson walked up to them.

"So who is this?" Wilson eyed Jack suspiciously.

"I met him at Jack-in-the-Box. I heard him askin if anyone knew where he might find some ranch work. I hired him."

"You didn't say anything about needing any help. We could arrange to have someone sent in."

"No need for that. We got enough suits wanderin 'round this place as it is. I need a country boy – someone who knows what the hell runnin a place is all about, someone who ain't afraid a hard work and gettin dirty."

Wilson looked a little guilty as he side-stepped a puddle. "Well, we need to check him out – find out who he is and where he's from."

"Buddy Brown's the name and I'm from all over the place." Jack smiled and reached out a hand.

Wilson took it for a quick shake. "Where you from?"

"Well now that's what I was talkin about. I was born in New Hampshire but the folks traveled a lot – you know – one step ahead of the bill collectors. They was farm workers and I learned early on what needs doin and when I need to be doin it."

"I need to see some ID."

"You and me both!" Jack answered. "You see, I got my wallet stolen just last week. I was in this bar in Kansas City and I got myself into this little tussle out in the parking lot. Afterwards I just went on home and went to bed – you know – to sleep it off. Well next mornin I noticed it was gone. I went back to that bar but couldn't find it. I guess I need to get myself out and get a license. Now, do you own this place or does he? I need to know who I'm workin for?"

"I own it!" Ennis said defiantly. "Don't I?"

"You do. And who you hire is up to you, I guess." Wilson said and turned and went back to his car and drove off.

Ennis and Jack went inside and locked the door behind them. Jack stood at the window and watched Wilson drive away.

"He gone for a while now?"

"Just down to the end of the drive – across the road. They got a place they sit and watch the gate so they can see who's comin and goin." Ennis answered as he pulled down the shades all around the room. When he was finished he turned to find Jack standing there staring at him.

In an instant they were in each other's arms.

"Oh, Jesus, Jack! I ain't never been so scared in my whole life!"

"It's all right. It's all right. We'll figure out what we need to do. Is there anything else you can tell me about all this mess? Anything else I need to know?"

"Yeah. Lots." Ennis pulled Jack over to the couch and they sat down. "This guy I told you about – the one I testified against …"

"Yeah?"

"He's Mafia."

"He's WHAT? You testified against the Mafia?"

"They didn't tell me that at the time. Just that he was some guy they been tryin to get and he was already to go to trial. That woman he killed in Thermopolis that night – she was the wife of some witness that was set to testify against him."

"Oh my God! Well did he testify? Is the trial over? Is that what took so long for you to call me?"

"They kept me locked up tight, Bud. I was in that hotel room for weeks and weeks before it came time for me to say my piece. No phones, no chance to get a message out to you or anyone else. My girls probably think I'm dead. I ain't never missed sendin them somethin for Christmas before and here it is January already."

"And you didn't know who you were testifying against?"

"Hell no! I would a kept my mouth shut if I did! They're tellin me I can't never go back to Wyomin – that I can't never contact the girls or anyone else I ever knew. They brought me here right after I finished my time in court and give me this place and that pickup. They said I got this new name now and that this place is mine. Oh, and Jack, they give me a lot a money! A reward. There were four out on this guy; two federal and two from different states. It come to big money, Bud. Two hundred and seventy five thousand dollars!"

"Sheeeesh! They just give it to you? In cash money?"

"No. It'd down town in the bank. But the account is in my name … er … Bo Jenkins name. I got the bank book and all the ID shit and everything. This place is paid off too and it ain't half bad."

"You plannin on stayin here?" Jack asked

"Hell, I don't know. Where else would I go?"

"I don't know. But I can't see that they'd keep these guards on you for all that long."

"So how did the trial turn out? Did he get found guilty?"

"He sure enough did. He killed that woman all right. And Jack, he didn't just kill her, they tortured her then butchered her. They showed me pictures." The horror was plain in Ennis' eyes and Jack gulped in fear.

"And you think he's coming after you next? How could he if he's in jail?"

"He's in jail but his buddies ain't. They got people all over the country that can take care of his business for him."

"And he saw you testify against him, knows your name and everything?" Jack was beginning to understand Ennis' fear a little more.

"He don't know my name. At least, that what they tell me. He didn't see me neither but he could hear me testify. I was in this little booth thing. I made my statement – told what happened – and answered a few questions and that was it. I figured I done my duty and was now gonna get to go home but once I was finished they took me straight to the airport and next thing I knew I was here.

But, Jack, I got a tell you, these people, they can find out names easy as pie. They saw my truck. They could a got my license plates, I don't know. Or they could a just drove around Riverton and asked if anyone knew someone who drove a truck like mine. Once they get my name, then they can find Alma and even the girls."

"Alma, maybe but it would take a lot of digging to get the girls – both of them being married and livin out of state."

"They can do it, Jack! They got the know how and the money to get anythin done they want to."

"Yeah, I'm sure you're right about that."

"And if they talked with Alma, they'd get your name too."

"I guess. And from there, the folks." Jack was sick with apprehension.

"I don't think so. Alma thinks you're from Texas. They'd probably be lookin for you down there."

"She knows I'm from Childress – that ain't that big a town. It wouldn't take much to find the trail from there. Shit! We got a figure out somethin, some way to protect ourselves and our families." Jack stood up and began to pace.

"I can't tell you how sorry I am that I got you into this mess, Bud, but I got a tell you – I'm sure glad you're here."

"We'll figure somethin out." Jack said as he came over and took Ennis into his arms. "The important thing right now is not to panic."

"I been panickin since they put me on that first airplane. That scared me even worse than testfyin!"

"I know. I hate flyin too. About this other stuff now. We got a figure that these guys know who you are. So they go to Riverton find out your name and where you live. What else could they find out?"

"I guess they'd find out where I work."

"And if they went out there to the ranch, what could they find out there?"

"Not much. That I been working there six years now. I ain't that close with the other hands. I guess they could find out where I live if they didn't already know that."

"I don't see that any of them would be in danger then. None of them close enough to you to matter. Any of them know about Alma?"

"Yeah. I ain't kept it no secret that I was married and got two girls."

"Any of them know where they live or their married names?"

"Nah."

"Then they might not even know about Alma or know where to find her."

"That's possible I guess."

"But just to be safe, what do you think she would tell them if they did go have a talk with her?"

"That I was a no good son of a bitch and that she hated me."

Jack gave a sad little grin. "She hate you that much?"

"Sure enough."

"Well that's good then!"

"How do you figure?"

"If she starts mouthin off about how much she hates you, they got a figure you'd be happy to have her killed and wouldn't touch her. They might think that it would be doin you a favor."

"That's some pretty slim figurin, Jack."

"I know. I know, but we got a be realistic here. They ain't about to just start up killin everybody you know. They'd want to find someone you loved and cared about. Do you think she'd tell them about the girls?"

"Why would she? Strangers come to her house askin questions about her ex-husband is one thing but askin about the girls is somethin else."

"But what if they asked if you kept in touch with the girls?"

"She'd probably tell 'em that I don't never call 'em or even write 'em."

"That would be good."

"It ain't true though – 'cept for this last Christmas when I was locked up in that hotel room and I missed sendin 'em a card. It's true, I don't see them much any more now that they are out a state but I try and call 'em now and then."

"I don't matter if it's true or not. What matters is that if they asked Alma about your relationship with the girls she would most likely say that you didn't have much to do with them, right?"

"I guess so."

"Then if you didn't have much to do with them, that would mean that you didn't care about them and they wouldn't be worth them killin."

"Oh, I see what you mean. Yeah, I'm sure if they did talk with Alma she'd give 'em an earful of what a terrible father I been."

"Let's hope so."

"What happens if she mentions you?"

"Let's see. She knows my name and she knows that I'm from Childress, TX. Does she know that I was born in Lightnin Flat and that my folks live there?"

"Nah. I never talked to her about you. It wasn't none of her business."

"That's good. So all she knows is that I'm someone that you go fishin and huntin with a couple times a year?"

"That's about it." Ennis looked away and thought about that long ago Thanksgiving dinner at Alma's house.

"What?" Jack asked noticing the far away expression.

"We got into it about you once. Long time ago now. She suspected that we was more than just fishin buddies."

"Shit! What made her think that?"

"Some bull shit about tyin a note to the line in my creel and me not findin it. She called you a bad name and said that we didn't go up there to go fishin."

"What did she call me?"

"Jack nasty."

"Jack nasty?" Jack laughed and was glad for the break in tension. "I kind a like that. Jack nasty. I think that should be my new name. What do you think? Can we forget all about this Buddy Brown name and go with Jack Nasty?"

"Jack, this is serious." Ennis scolded him but with a little bit of a smile himself.

"I know that, Cowboy. I was just kiddin. So, if she's known for years now, how can that affect us?"

"What if she tells them when they start askin about me?"

"It ain't like that would be the kind a question they would ask her. I mean, they might ask about friends, people that you hang out with."

"I don't hang out with nobody."

"Does she have any idea that we still see each other?"

"Don't see how she could. Ain't neither of us ever mentioned you since that day and that was at least ten years ago now."

"Have you told the girls that we been still goin fishing or huntin?"

"Nope. I don't mention you to either of them. Ain't none of their business."

"That's good. You know, I don't see Alma jumpin right out with that kind a information if someone asked her about your friends. She might say somethin like the only one she ever knew you to spend any time with was Jack Twist from Childress, Texas but I can't see that she'd jump right in there and tell them she thought we might be more than friends."

"I hope you're right."

"You think they'd kill you any deader for messin around with me than just for testifyin?" Jack grinned at him.

"Jack, this ain't no jokin matter!"

"I know that, Ennis. I'm just trying to lighten you up some. It's going to be all right. I promise you."

"Jack, you can't promise somethin like that! As long as we're alive, they'll be after us – or me at least and you too if they knew how much you meant to me."

"Then I think we best be thinkin about gettin ourselves out a here."

"How we gonna do that with them keepin a 24 hours guard on me?"

"They're guarding the front, right? What about the back?"

"There ain't no back entrance."

"What's back there – back behind this place?"

"Just some woods."

"There ain't nobody live back there?'

"Not that I know of. They told me about the neighbors on both sides a me and across the road but they didn't say nothin about back behind me."

"There must not be anyone there then. That means we can take off through the woods when we're ready."

"Do we really want to leave?" Ennis asked. "At least here, we got the protection of these guards."

"Guards that you said you were scared of." Jack reminded him.

"Just the two night time guards. And I ain't really scared of 'em. They just kind a … I don't know … I just don't trust them."

"How long you think they're gonna be hangin around? A few weeks, months?"

"I don't know. They didn't say."

"What happens after they leave?"

"I don't know."

"I think we'd do better off somewhere on our own."

"They could find me easy enough with the name and social security number."

"You could use a different name. We both could. First thing we got a do is get that money a yours in a secure bank."

"What's wrong with the bank it's in?"

"Too easy to trace. You need to get yourself a Cayman Island account."

"What the hell's that?"

"The Cayman Islands are down south of Florida somewhere and they got this great bankin system set up and it's all done in numbers – no names. They ain't like our banking system so you don't have to fill out all that information that most banks ask for. You give them your account number and your password and you can do anything you want – make a deposit or a withdrawal and there's no records kept except for the numbers. They don't never even know your name and they don't want to."

"Sounds kinda dangerous. What if you forget your number or somethin?"

"You pick out a password and as long as you use that, you're all set."

"How is that better than what I already got?"

"You get one account with all your money in it and you get yourself some credit cards. They got no expiration date on them and no limit on them. You can use them where ever you go and you won't have to change banks each time you move. They don't keep track of your expenses and they don't send you out no monthly statement. The money comes into your account and it goes out. All they keep track of is the numbers and it's up to you to watch how much you spend and know what your balance is."

"How come you know about such things?"

"I got me a Cayman Island account years ago. I found out about them from Lureen. She did the books for the business and she and her daddy figured a way to skim some of the profits off so's they wouldn't have to pay taxes on all they made. She told me how it works. So I set myself up an account there and I been stashin money away for years. Got myself a nice little pile a cash. Lureen give me a nice settlement in the divorce too and it all went in there. I ain't got as much as you got but I'm close. Between the two of us, we could buy us a place outright and not even have to worry about makin no mortgage payments."

"We got this place, Jack and it's already paid for."

"You think you'd feel safe livin here?"

"I don't know. I don't know that I'll feel safe livin anywhere."

"Well, I think we should take a ride. We need to get out and get some fresh air and think about things. Why don't you show me this place a yours."

"It really ain't half bad, Jack." Ennis reached for his jacket and hat and Jack did the same.

"It's kind a small, only a hundred acres, but the ground looks good."

"You really thinkin of stayin here?" Jack asked as they climbed into Ennis' pickup and started out.

"Where else would I go? I can't go back to Wyomin and I sure don't wanna go to either of my girls homes – that would just put them and their families in danger."

"We could go anywhere in the country, Ennis. With our money safely tucked away in the Cayman Islands we could set ourselves up any where we wanted to."

"I suppose so." Ennis grunted as the truck hit a dip as he drove across the small farm. "I just don't know no other place but Wyomin."

"Well hell then, let's go back there. We could find us some little out of the way place and make a fine life for ourselves."

"What if we run into someone we know?"

"Ennis, I don't have all the answers. I just know that you and me, we been all over Wyomin and know it like the back of our hands. I think that's where we should go."

"They told me I should NEVER even think of goin back to Wyomin."

"Well then that's the last place they'd ever think of to look for you."

"I hadn't thought of that."

"You never did say – did they find this guy guilty?"

"Sure enough."

"Okay then. He's probably got people already lookin for you. I think the two of us should just disappear."

"You think we should take off for Wyomin?"

"I'm thinkin that if we got a run for our lives, I'd rather do it in an area that we're familiar with. You and me could take to the woods if we have to. And although I wouldn't want to live there on a permanent basis, we could always go to Lightnin Flat."

"You think your Pa would stand for that?"

"He'd squawk a bit, 'cause he always does, no matter what. But there's nothin he could do about it. The place come down from Momma's side of the family and she's been tellin me for years that it's one third mine, one third hers and only one third the old man's. And I know Momma would let us stay as long as we wanted to."

"What if your Pa told somebody?"

"One thing that I know for sure is that Pa wouldn't have the slightest idea that we was on the run. He don't watch no news and he ain't read a paper long as I've known him. He don't care nothin about the rest of the world, just his little part of it."

"We'd be bringin our problems right to their doorstep."

"Maybe not. I'm still not convinced that they'd take the time to go after the parents of someone that was just an old fishing buddy of yours."

"I hope you're right about that."

"You said it was the two night guards that bothered you most. What is it about them you don't like?"

"I'll show you." Ennis drove the pickup near the front gate and stopped in some trees and out of view. "See over there across the road in them trees? That's where they park."

"Yeah. I see the car."

"You see just one man. The day time guards come on from 6am to 12 noon and from 12 noon until 6pm. Only one at a time. One comes to spell the other one, they talk a few minutes and then one of t hem leaves. The night time guard comes on at 6pm sharp. And 'fore you know it, the other one shows up and they sit there, sometimes for hours just talkin." He reached over and popped open the glove compartment and took out a pair of binoculars. "I watch 'em sometimes. They're always talkin."

"Could be they're just friends."

"Could be. Or it could be they're plannin somethin." Ennis took a look through the glasses and handed them to Jack.

"Something that the two day guards aren't in on?" Jack asked as he took a quick look and saw nothing but the man sitting there alone and looking around.

"Uh huh. That's what I'm thinkin."

"I wanna come out here tonight and watch 'em." Jack said.

"I'll take you over to meet 'em. Tell 'em you're the new hired man."

"Good idea."

Ennis drove the truck back to the house and they went inside.

"I can't tell you how much better I feel with you here, Jack." Ennis grinned as they removed their jackets and hung their hats in the hall.

Jack took him in his arms and held him close. "I don't know how much help I can be but whatever happens, we'll face it together."

"What do you think of the place?" Ennis asked as they sat back down on the couch together.

"Oh it's nice enough, all right. Pretty place too with the way the land rolls and the trees and all. It ain't Wyomin but it's nice."

"I been walkin around and checkin out the soil. It's pretty good. I think a small herd would do fine here."

"You been seriously thinkin of stayin?"

"Like I said, I got no place else to go."

"Well, you need to get that notion right out a your head. 'Cause you got Wyomin. It's a big beautiful state and I'm sure we can find us a place up there. Maybe up around the Big Horns somewhere where we could just slip off and go huntin whenever the mood strikes us."

"That would be great, Jack. But what about the other thing – you know – two guys livin together? It could cause a lot of trouble."

"You mean more trouble than we already got?" Jack grinned at him.

Ennis managed a small grin back. "I don't know how just pullin some guy's car out a some ditch can cause so much trouble. I ain't known a day's peace since I done it."

"You did it 'cause you're such a nice guy. And if we came upon another car in a ditch you'd still probably stop and give 'em a hand; wouldn't you?"

"Probably." Ennis admitted as he leaned back against the couch. Jack was here now and everything was going to be all right. He smiled as he relaxed a bit for the first time since this nightmare began.

Jack leaned over and kissed him. "There's that smile!" He kissed him again. "I thought you'd lost it for sure."

"There ain't been much to smile about, Jack."

"But now I'm here." Another kiss. "And I need those smiles." Another kiss and they were lost in each other for several minutes.

"You really think it would be safe to go back to Wyomin?" Ennis asked after he caught his breath.

"I'm sure it would be. We could come up with some story to tell folks. I don't know – that we're cousins or somethin. Once we let it known that we both been married and have kids and that we're both divorced, I don't think anyone will be think anything of the two of us livin together."

"Oh shit, Jack. I'm sorry. The last time we talked on the phone, you said there was somethin you needed to tell me. You said you thought Lureen's father might be after you?"

"Oh that. It don't hardly seem all that important now compared to you havin the Mafia after you."

"What happened?"

"I'll tell you but you got a promise you won't be mad at me." Jack sat back and lit a cigarette.

"You do somethin wrong? Why would I get mad at you for that?"

"The last time we saw each other, last May, you and me had that fight. Remember?"

"Sure I remember. It was bad. But I thought we got that all straight?"

"We did. More or less."

"More or less?"

Jack stood and began to pace again. "I told you – that every now and then, I … kind a slip out and mess around with other guys." It pained his heart to see the hurt look in Ennis' eyes but he went on. "You sure you want me to tell you this?"

"If someone is after you, Jack, I need to know about it." Ennis looked up at him.

"It wasn't never nothin serious, Ennis, I promise you that. Shit, I just got to where I needed it so bad … and there was this other fella. He's married to Lureen's best friend. Or he was until she found out about him."

"She saw the two of you?"

"No. She didn't see him with me. A friend a hers saw him with another guy so she put a private detective on him. He took pictures. He got some pictures of him and me." Jack shriveled up inside with shame as he saw the hurt his words caused.

"He got pictures of you and this guy … doin it?"

"NO! Nothin like that. Pictures of him and me sittin together in a gay bar, holdin hands and dancin. That's all."

"SHIT, JACK! How could you be so careless? You know what happens to people who get caught!" Ennis jumped up and faced him.

"Ennis, a gay bar is perfectly safe – most of the time. We just never thought that a private detective might be in there snoopin around."

"Well you got caught; didn't you? So how safe were you?"

"Please don't be mad." Jack tried to hold him but Ennis turned away.

"I been tellin you for years and years that you can't let people know about … this stuff. It'll get you killed faster than you can spit!"

"Faster than testifyin against the Mafia?" Jack grinned at him.

"Jack!" Ennis glared at him for a minute then turned away and shook his head. "We're sure as hell a couple a royal fuck-ups; ain't we?"

"What we are, Ennis, is human. We make mistakes. I never should a been with Randall. I didn't never care for him all that much. He was just there when the need got so bad I couldn't handle it no more. He was in the same boat as me – livin with a woman but needin the touch of another man."

"And now he's out in the cold 'cause he couldn't keep his jeans zipped!" Ennis said angrily.

"He ain't exactly out in the cold, Cowboy. He's already moved on to greener pastures and livin with someone up in Tulsa."

"You plan on seein him again?" Ennis asked still burning with anger but mostly jealousy.

"Hell no! When you're dyin a thirst, you'll drink whatever is in front a you. He ain't the one I was dyin for, Ennis, but he was there. That's all he ever was to me, Ennis, just … available."

Ennis turned away and stood silently for a time. Jack walked up behind him and placed his hands on Ennis' shoulders. "He's nothing to me – he never was or never could be. There ain't no one in this world that means to me what you do."

"And exactly what is that, Jack? You need sex with men and you like it with me best? Is that what you're sayin?" Ennis whirled to face him.

"I never been any good at sayin the fancy stuff, Ennis, but what I'm tryin to say here is that I love you. Just you. There ain't never been nobody that makes me feel the way the you do and I ain't just talkin the sex part 'cause you already know that is spectacular. I'm talkin about you and me, bein together, doin things together. Shit, Ennis, I even love workin with you. It don't matter what we're doin, I love doin it when you're there beside me doin it too."

Ennis turned his back and walked a few steps away.

"You're all I think about, Cowboy. I wake up in the mornin and you're the first thing I think about … wonderin what you're doin and if you're thinkin about me. I think about you all day long, no matter what I'm doin or who I'm with, I'm thinkin about you. And you're the last thing I think about when I go to bed at night. And this part might make you even madder than you already are but I even think about you when I'm doin someone else!"

Ennis said nothing but the fact that he hadn't bolted from the room gave Jack the nerve to go on.

"Ever since we met and we got together up on Brokeback, you've been the only one I've wanted to be with. Hell yes, I've been with others – lots of others – both men and women. And I can tell you this; there ain't no one out there that can hold a candle to you. There ain't no one for me but you, Ennis, no one."

Ennis walked out of the room. Jack stood a few minutes before following him into the kitchen. Ennis was standing there peeling potatoes as Jack walked up behind him.

"Here – you peel." Ennis handed Jack the peeler and stepped over to the refrigerator.

"I got a chicken the other day. We best cook it up before it goes bad."

Jack grinned a little and set to peeling the potatoes.

xxxxxx

"I can't wait to meet these guys." Jack said later on as they were walking out towards the front gate.

"They ain't nothin special about 'em – nothin that I can say gives me that particular feelin. There's just somethin about 'em that don't feel right."

"Well, I trust your judgment but I can't agree with it until I meet 'em."

"Well there they are – sittin there talkin away." Ennis gestured towards the cars.

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe they don't like sittin out there all lone and just like to keep each other company?"

"They ain't bein paid to keep each other company. They're bein paid to make sure no one gets to me." Ennis unlocked the gate and the two of them walked across the road. The two men, seeing them coming, got out of the car and walked towards them.

"Evenin." Ennis said to them.

"Who's this?" One of the men asked nodding towards Jack.

"This here is Buddy Brown out a Kansas City. I hired him on today. He's gonna help me run the place. I give him a room up at the house. I thought the two of you ought to meet up with him 'cause he's gonna be goin in and out a here."

"Hi!" Jack smiled and stuck his hand out for a shake. Both men shook it but eyed him suspiciously.

"Wilson know about him?" The first man asked.

"Uh huh. Met him this afternoon."

"Won't make much difference." The second man said with a dead-on stare at Ennis.

"Can he shoot?" The first man asked.

"Absolutely!" Jack lied. "I spent half my life at the firing range."

"You aren't afraid of workin at a place where someone's got a hit out on the owner?" The second guy asked.

"Nope. Just wished I coulda got my guns before my old lady burned everythin. Bo, we need to get into town tomorrow and get some new ones. I feel naked without mine."

"Uh huh, yeah. Sure. We should do that. We need some more groceries too. We can go in, first thing in the mornin."

"Your wife burned your guns?" The first man asked.

"Yeah. Couple a days ago. Got caught dippin my wick in the wrong inkwell and she threw me out. I went back the next day to get my stuff and she had piled it all out in the parkin lot and set fire to it. Lost everythin I had. All's I got left is the clothes on my back."

"The bitch!" The second man said.

"Yeah," Jack agreed. "I ain't gonna miss her bitchin and nosin around but I sure do miss my guns. Should a took 'em with me but I just never figured her to go nutty on me like that."

"You can never tell about people – especially women." The first man said.

"Well it's nice meetin you." Jack touched two fingers to the brim of his hat and turned to leave. Ennis joined him and they walked back through the gate and locked it.

"What do you think?" Ennis asked.

"What do I think? I wouldn't trust either one of them far as I could throw them."

"You feel it too then?"

"Yep. Soon as they got out a the car. They had this look on their faces like they was hidin somethin."

"That's what I figured. What do you think that second guy meant when he said you bein here won't make no difference?"

"Can't say. It was kind a strange thing to say. It was more like he was sayin it to the first guy and not to us."

"Uh huh. So you spent half your life on a shooting range?" Ennis grinned over at him.

"Never been to one in my life but I heard about 'em from Randall. He used to go a lot."

"I'd just as soon not hear any more about your Texas lover."

"He wasn't never my lover, Cowboy. I ain't never had but one a those and that's you. He was just somebody needin the same thing I was needin and we helped each other out from time to time. But you're right. He's got no place in my life no more and I can't say that I'm sorry about that. To tell you the truth, he wasn't all that good."

"Don't wanna hear about it." Ennis said and dug into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette, jammed it between his lips and lit it with a flick of his lighter.

"Sorry. You're right. I'm just glad it's out in the open now and that you know about it. I can't tell you how guilty I felt about it."

"It's got no place in our life now. The past is dead and buried. Let's just worry about keepin ourselves alive for now."

"I really would like to go into town tomorrow and get some guns."

"Yep. That's a good idea. We can check in the phone book and see if we can find a place. That's how I found the Greyhound bus station. I wanted to know where it was in case I decided to take off."

"I think you got the right idea there, Cowboy. I'm not likin the odds here. While we're out tomorrow we might wanna be thinkin of a way to get out a here without no one seein us."

"You thinkin of leavin tomorrow?"

"Nah, not that fast. We got no plan yet. But one will come to us and we'll figure it out. And when we do, we'll take off."

"It won't be too soon for me." Ennis said as he unlocked the front door and they went inside.

"Mind if I use the shower? I'm really grimy from the bus trip." Jack asked.

"Help yourself. There's a razor there in the cabinet over the sink. We'll get you a new one in the mornin."

"Thanks." Jack said and headed down the hall.

"Jack?" Ennis called from the end of the hall.

Jack stopped in the doorway to the bathroom, "Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're here."

"Me too." Jack answered and went on in to take his shower.

When he stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel a short while later he was met by Ennis – barefoot, shirtless and grinnin just a bit. "You leave me any hot water?"

"Uh huh. Where you want me?" Jack asked not really sure if Ennis was still mad at him and he'd be sleeping alone or not.

Ennis reached over and nuzzled Jack's cheek. "Three guesses. And I'd better find you in my bed when I get done in here." With that said, he went into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

Jack grinned and with a sigh of relief he pulled back the covers and got into Ennis' bed. Ten minutes later when Ennis came in, Jack was sound asleep. He stood several minutes just looking down at him then crawled quietly into bed and pulled the covers up over them. A kiss on Jack's shoulder and he went to sleep.

Ennis woke up a few hours later and turned over and slung an arm and a leg across Jack and Jack mumbled something and snuggled back against Ennis. With a few sweet kisses along the side of Jack's neck, sleep was forgotten about for a good long while.

They awoke to sun streaming into the bedroom window and started the day with a mock pillow fight that ended with them both winning and going down stairs later on with a smile on each of their faces.

Breakfast was toast and coffee with Ennis apologizing for not having much food in the house.

"That don't matter none, Cowboy. We can pick some up while we're out this morning."

"Yeah, but I should a thought a that. I tell you, Jack. Food just never crossed my mind."

"What we need to find is a Wal-Mart. They'll have everything we need. 'cept for the guns. We best find someplace else for those."

"That's most important I thing. We'll get the guns first. I'll have to get them in my name – my new name."

"Yeah. I got a tell you though, Ennis, you just don't look like no 'Bo'."

"Well, you better get used to callin me that. We don't want no slip-ups over a stupid name."

"I'll be careful. I promise." Jack smiled at him and Ennis lost all thought of anything but

those blue eyes for a while.

"First thing you need to do though is move your money to the Caymans. That way they can't never take it back and you'll have access to it where ever you go."

"Okay. We gotta go into town to the bank?"

"Nah. We can do it all over the phone. But I don't think we should use this phone. Let's do it on a pay phone." Jack said and they loaded up and headed out for town.

"Jack-in-the-Box has breakfast food and a telephone." Ennis said and headed straight there. Once inside they gave their order then headed for the phone, their tail sitting outside and not able to see a thing.

"Which name do I use?"

"You don't use no name at all. They just give you a number and you think up a password. I can do it for you if you want."

"That'd be great. I ain't much good talkin on a phone."

Jack pulled out his wallet and took his credit card out. Ennis handed him the phone and Jack dialed the number on the back of the card. Five minutes later it was all finished up after a call to the local bank the money was transferred. Ennis picked out the word 'mountain' for his password and he gave the new address for the set of credit cards to be overnight expressed.

"That's all there is to it?"

"Yep. Tomorrow you'll receive a packet with about every credit card you can imagine."

"And there ain't no signature needed each time I use it?"

"Nope. Well, there's some places that want you to sign but I always just scribble a little somethin. They never question it. They never will. These cards are guaranteed. They ain't gonna lose any money on 'em."

"I ain't never used credit cards before."

"Simple as pie. I'll show you."

Ennis gave a little smile. "I knew I was doin the right thing by callin you."

"I'm glad you did, Cowboy. We'll figure a way out a this mess. We put our minds to it and I'm sure we'll come up with a way." Jack said as they collected their food and headed for their table.

xxxxxx

They found the gun store easy enough and went in and bought two rifles, two pistols, and several boxes of ammunition. Ennis filled out all the paperwork in his new name and they headed out to find a Wal-Mart.

"Why a Wal-Mart?" Ennis asked as they drove up and parked. "We got one in Riverton now but I never been."

"They're great, Ennis … Bo. I got a start callin you Bo. Remind me now when I slip up so I don't forget."

"How am I supposed to remind you? You want me to knock you in the head every time you slip up?"

"No need to get violent. I was thinkin more along the lines of a gentle poke in the ribs. No bruisin now – that ain't necessary."

"I think I can handle that." Ennis mumbled as they walked through the doorway.

"You can handle anythin you put your mind to, Ennis, and …" That's as far as he got before he got an elbow in the ribs. "Owww"

"You told me to."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry. Anyway, Bo, once we get our hands on those guns, I'll feel a lot safer. Here, grab a cart." He pulled a shopping cart out for Ennis and one for himself and they entered the store.

An hour later they were pushing over-flowing carts out to their pickup.

"Jesus, Jack, I never knew a store that sold so much stuff before."

"That's what I like about Wal-Mart. You can get clothes, food, whatever you need. I can't believe you never been in one."

"I don't shop much. When I need groceries I go over to Safeway and when I need clothes I go to Sears and Roebuck. That's about all the shoppin I ever do."

"Well now you can get it all done in one place and the prices are a lot cheaper too. The guys on the rodeo circuit showed me this place."

"I'll bet that ain't all they showed you!" Ennis mumbled half under his breath but Jack caught it and frowned.

"That was years and years ago and I ain't seen or heard from any of 'em since I quit the rodeo and I don't really care to. I got all I want in this world standin right next to me." Jack said and walked his now empty cart over to the cart return rack. Ennis followed with his.

"So what did you think of this morning's guard?" Ennis asked as he climbed in behind the wheel and Jack settled himself in the passenger's seat.

"He seemed Okay – like Wilson. They both seemed serious about their job."

"And the two evenin guys?" Ennis asked as he exited the parking lot and headed home.

"Well I hate it, but I think you're right. I don't trust 'em."

"I'll feel a lot better when we get those guns day after tomorrow."

"Ennis – Bo – guns are gonna help a bit but if they've sold out to the Mafia, it won't be just the two of them."

"You're thinkin others will come?"

"If these guards are with the F.B.I., they'll probably want to keep that job. My guess is they'll just stand by and let whoever the Mafia sends to do the job, just get on with it. Maybe they'll act like they been knocked out or somethin. Or maybe they'll just stay here as long as they are assigned and then tell the Mafia when they leave."

"Shit. I didn't think a that. I figured it'd be just the two of them."

"If it was just the two of them, we could probably take 'em. But it won't be. It'll be a bunch. Especially now that they know we got guns."

"You think they'll do somethin before we get the guns?"

"I doubt it. They didn't seem the least bit worried when we said we were going to buy guns. Maybe that's what that guy meant when he said it wouldn't matter. Maybe he was sayin that it wouldn't matter that I was there or if we had guns and that they'd still get us."

"You thinkin we ain't got much a chance then?"

"I'm still thinkin we ought to get out asses out a here. I think we should seriously start plannin on hittin the road."

Ennis was silent for the rest of the ride home.

"I was just gettin to kind a like this place." He said as he drove through the front gate, got out and locked it and got back into the truck and drove on up to the front door.

"It's a nice little place all right, but would you ever feel safe here?"

"Probably not." Ennis agreed as they hauled all their purchases into the house and started putting stuff away.

"You think we should take off some time when we're in town? Whoever's on duty would just follow us."

"Nah. We wouldn't go during the daylight. We'll have to take off during the night."

"How can we do that with them sittin there watchin the front gate."

"We won't go out the front. We take off out the back through the woods. It would be hours and hours before they ever knew we was gone. We'd have a good head start."

"We're a good thirty miles out a town, Jack."

"Yeah, I was thinkin about that. We need horses."

"Horses?"

"Yeah. And maybe we can find us a pickup and horse trailer to stash somewhere. Then we just ride to it, load up and take off."

"It ain't like we could stash a rig like that just anywhere, Jack."

"I know. I'm still thinkin. That's what we need though. We get us some horses and we can make an opening in the back fence."

"That won't be no problem. There's a bunch of tools in the barn." Ennis said then asked,

"How long you figure we got until things get … messy?"

"I don't know. Maybe until the guards leave maybe not that long. How long you been in this place anyway?"

"Little over a week. I was afraid to call from this phone. I figured they'd be listenin in."

"They probably are."

"You think they'll find out about the money?"

"Probably. Ain't nothin they can do about it now though."

"I guess not."

"What took you so long to call me?"

"I was tryin to figure a way out a all this and it wasn't until I stopped at that Jack-in-the-Box that I saw that phone in the little hallway back there by the rest rooms. That's when I got the idea. I asked the waitress if she had a bunch a quarters and she sold me a ten dollar roll."

"I'm glad you called, Ennis. Oops. Hey, you're supposed to be pokin me – remember?"

Ennis smiled at him. "I would but I think you enjoy it too much."

"I don't think we're going to be around here too much longer to worry about that. What do you say, we take off and see if we can find us a couple a horses for sale?"

They drove towards town, their tail dragging along behind them, and pulled off the road when they spotted a sign that read Horses For Sale. The fence also had a Real Estate, For Sale sign on it. They pulled up into the driveway – their tail remained out in the street.

They got out of their truck and stood at the corral looking at the six horses wandering around there.

"What do you think?" Jack asked.

"They all look good to me." Ennis said.

"Morning, friends. You interested in some horses?" A gray-haired man walked up to them.

"Yes sir, we are. You movin on?" Ennis said and reached out for a friendly hand shake.

Jack did the same.

"Yes I am. Movin to Oregon with my son. Bum ticker's givin me fits and they want me to sell out and move in with them and go see some hot-shot doctors they got over there." He said with a sad smile as he patted his chest. "You won't go wrong with any a those you chose. They'll all good, ain't a loser in the bunch." He stepped over to the corral fence.

"What about that horse trailer over there? You gonna be sellin it too?" Jack asked.

"Yep. The pickup too. You interested?"

"I am." Jack said. "But I couldn't take 'em with me right now. Could I maybe pick 'em up in a coupla days?"

"Sure enough. No problem. The place is already sold though. I'll be movin out tomorrow and I got a neighbor comin over after while to take whatever stock I got left. I don't suppose you'd be interested it takin all six horses?"

"Nope." Ennis answered. "We just need two of 'em."

"Well go on in there then and take a closer look while I show your buddy here the pickup. They're all people friendly so just pick out which ones you want." He opened the corral gate and Ennis walked in while Jack walked with the man over to the pickup and trailer and took a look at them.

The truck was only five years old and the mileage was low. Jack drove it around a bit and found it in great shape. He checked the trailer out as well and found it perfect for their needs.

"Yep, this is exactly what I need and you're askin a fair price. You got yourself a deal."

"Sure enough. I can give you the keys and it'll sit right here till you come collect it."

"That'll be great." Jack smiled and they walked back over to the corral and met Ennis coming out.

"Pickup and trailer is just right, Bo. He says we can pick it up whenever we're ready. He'll leave it sittin right where it is."

"Good. I want the brown one over there with the three white socks, and the spotted gray one." Ennis told the man. They went inside the man's house and signed the papers. Jack showed him how easy it was to use the credit cards to transfer the money into the man's bank account and they were finished after Ennis told the man he'd go get his trailer and come get the horses.

"That was easy enough. How's the pickup? It looks pretty new?"

"It's in great shape. Only twelve thousand miles on it. He probably hasn't done a whole lot since his heart started botherin him." Jack said as they drove on into town.

"Where you figure on lookin for a trailer?" Jack asked.

"I figured we'd pick up a paper and see if we can find one advertised in the back."

"Good idea."

"Seems a waste to go out and buy another one but we got a leave the one you bought where it is until we need it and we need one right now to pick up the horses."

"Yeah, I'm with you. They ain't all that costly and we got the money right now. Later on, we'll be more careful with the money we got but right now we got a do whatever it takes so we don't rouse nobody's suspicions."

"It won't be that much of a ride over to the pickup and trailer. I'm guessin about ten or twelve miles." Ennis said.

"That's about right. Just a nice ride in the night."

"Once we get the horses, we best get those woods checked out and make sure we can cut through there. We don't wanna have to go cut any fence lines."

"We'll take some wire cutters along just in case." Jack said then added, "There's a

newspaper stand over by the Greyhound station. I seen it when I come in."

"Let's grab a paper and go inside and grab a cup a coffee. We can spread the paper out better if we got a table in front of us." Jack said as they climbed down from the truck.

They walked around the side to where the newspaper rack was, stuck coins in the slot and pulled out a paper then went into the bus station, took a seat and ordered. They turned to the ads and found three listed. Two were out on the highway north of town and one was in town. They decided to head for the closest one. They finished up their coffee and left.

"Whatever it looks like, it'll be fine. We'll only need it for just the one trip." Ennis said as they looked for the street.

"That's what I was thinkin. The one we bought is practically new and will do us good enough for where ever we decide to go with it."

"I liked the horses, Jack."

"I noticed you picked out two mares."

"Yep. We got the money now and I was kind a thinkin that when we get where ever we decide to go, that we could pick up a stallion and see about doin some breedin. There's always a market for horses."

"There it is! Birmingham. We need 1403." Jack said as Ennis made the turn down the street.

"It'll be on your side," Ennis said, "Odd numbers over there."

"Down there, half a block. There's a trailer in the driveway."

"Looks pretty good."

"Uh huh. Old but good enough." Jack agreed.

Hour and a half later they collected their new horses and headed back to their place.

"You think they're gonna ask any questions about the horses?" Jack asked.

"Can't see why they would. If this is supposed to be a workin ranch the most normal thing in the world would be for us to get hold a some horses."

"You're probably right." Jack agreed but his blood ran cold when their tail followed them up to the gate and got out of his car to speak with Ennis as he got out to lock up.

When Ennis got back in the truck, Jack asked, "What was that all about?"

"They know about the money already. He asked why I moved it. I told him I was scared they might decide to take it back. He seemed to buy it. Guess he didn't think I knew about such things as Cayman Island bank accounts."

"Well there ain't nothin they can do about it now. It's safe and no one can touch it but you."

They unloaded the horses and turned them out into the small corral next to the barn. They put some feed out for them that they had bought in town, filled the water trough and stood and watched as they settled in.

"You think we should saddle up and ride 'em a bit?" Jack asked.

"Not yet. Let them settle in a bit more. I think we ought to grab some tools and take a ride out to the back fence line and see how difficult it's gonna be to open it up."

"Good idea. We need daylight to do that." Jack agreed and they loaded up with a few tools and headed out.

"Those woods don't look all that thick. Maybe we could just drive out a here?"

"Nah. That'd leave a trail a blind man could follow. We'll find us a spot that's good and solid, lots a rocks, and we won't leave no hoof prints. We close up the fence behind us and there won't be no trail to follow. We'll just be gone and they won't know which way we went."

"They're gonna figure we'd head for town." Jack said as they drove along the fence line looking for the perfect spot.

"Yeah, but we won't stop in town. Unless we got a stop for gas."

"The tank was about three quarters full so we shouldn't have to stop for a while. If we leave right after dark, we could be clean out of the state before they even suspect that we're gone."

"That looks like a good place." Ennis said and stopped the truck. They got out and checked the area. It was rocky on both sides of the fence and a little higher than the rest of the area. "We come through the fence here and they'll have a hell of a time finding our trail. We got a cut it right here and this whole section should move easy enough."

"What about our tracks leading up to this spot?" Jack asked as Ennis got the tools out of the truck and started working on the wire connecting the fence sections.

"We'll take the horses out and ride 'em good all over this area this afternoon and tomorrow – fill the place with tracks."

"Okay. Sounds like a plan to me. I just wish we was getting those guns tomorrow so we could leave tomorrow night." Ennis said.

"Yeah, me too. This will give us some time to get used to the animals and to decide which direction we want to take once we're in that truck."

"Yeah. I just hope those two guards hold off on whatever they're plannin that long."

"Me too, Jack. Me too." Ennis said as he gave the fence a push and it swung free a couple of feet. "There you go. Plenty a room." Ennis said as he pulled it back into place.

"You sure they can't see back here with those binoculars?" Jack asked as he looked around.

"Don't see how they could 'less they can see through that rise over there."

"Yeah. I guess you're right. And there don't seem to be nothin back here but the woods and the hills behind."

"Let's go get some lunch then we'll take us a little ride and make us some tracks." Ennis grinned as they climbed back into the truck.

"What all you plannin on takin when we leave here?" Jack asked as they drove back to the house.

"Next to nothin. Just the clothes on my back and the guns. That's about it."

"We can put a couple pair a underwear and socks on and a couple shirts too. Maybe tie an extra pair a jeans on the back. Too bad that guy didn't have any saddle bags." Jack said.

"We was lucky enough he had the saddles for sale, Jack."

"We was for a fact." Jack agreed as they went inside and worked up some sandwiches for lunch.

"I like this place, Jack. I like it a lot. You think maybe we can find somethin this nice somewhere?"

"Sure we can. We just got a look is all. First thing we need to do is get ourselves some new ID though."

"How we gonna do that? Once we're out a state, don't you think it would be safe to use our own names?"

"Nah. I wouldn't risk it. Our lives are at stake here. We best come up with some fake names."

"We just pick a name out a thin air?" Ennis asked.

"Don't you ever watch any TV, Ennis? You go to a graveyard and pick out a name."

"Jack!" Ennis was appalled.

"Sure enough! You go find a grave of a baby that was born around the same time you were. Once you got that you go and apply for a birth certificate in that name. It's simple. I seen it on TV lots of times. Then you can say you lost your wallet with your driver's license in it and file for another one. Once you got that, you're set."

"And what if you run into someone who knew the person who's name you took?"

"We'll be on the move and not likely to meet up with any family members."

"I don't know about that, Jack. It sounds kind a risky."

"It's done all the time. It'll work. You'll see."

"Okay. You're in charge of this escape plan. It seems to be workin out so far." Ennis agreed as they took their dishes to the sink and rinsed them off.

They spent the afternoon getting familiar with the horses and rode them all over the place, concentrating on the back area where they planned their escape route.

The evening passed quietly and they got a good night's sleep. The next morning they got a phone call from the post office saying a special delivery package had arrived for them and they took off for town. It was from the Cayman Islands – ten credit cards of all different kinds.

"This is it. Your money is safe and now you have access to it. Gimme your wallet." Jack said as the two of them climbed back into the truck. Ennis pulled it out and tossed it to him.

Jack stuffed the cards in and handed it back. "Keep 'em with you at all times. That way if we have to make a run for it, you'll have 'em."

"You decided yet where we're goin to run to?" Ennis asked as he tucked the wallet into his back pocket.

"Nope. It don't really matter. What we do need is another trip to Wal-Mart."

"What for? We got enough groceries and we don't need no more clothes."

"We need a road atlas. And maybe a campground guide too if we can find one."

"Wal-Mart's got stuff like that?" Ennis asked.

"It does. I tell you, Ennis. It's got everything."

"All right. I believe you. Wal-Mart it is."

Thirty minutes later they exited Wal-Mart with a road atlas and a Campgrounds of America guide book and headed home with Jack flipping through the pages as they drove.

"They got a whole section here on State Parks. This is great!" Jack said excitedly. "We can read these each day and decide where we want to go next."

"You figurin on us bein on the road a lot?"

"For a while. Till we find the right spot where we can sit and wait for our new ID to come in then we take off again."

"Sounds like a pretty good plan." Ennis had to agree.

They spent the rest of the day riding around the place and getting used to the horses and deciding what they would try and take with them when they left.

"What's all that wire for?" Jack asked as they were in the barn after stabling the horses for the night.

"I wanna make sure to take it along with us incase we have to cut anyone's fence on our way out." He took the wire and wire cutters and stashed them close to the saddle. "We maybe shoulda got some saddle bags in town."

"That might have looked suspicious if they found out about it." Jack said.

"Any more suspicious than a road atlas or campground guide?" Ennis asked.

"Well we got that at Wal-Mart. I doubt they'd have anyone in there checking on what we buy."

"Let's get some dinner." Ennis said as they secured the barn door and headed for the house.

"I'm starvin." Jack agreed.

After the dinner dishes were washed and put away they smoked a cigarette or two while they glanced over the campground guide and road atlas.

"See here these little tent like shapes?" Jack pointed to a page in the atlas. "That means there's a state park there with campin."

"They're all over the place." Ennis said taking a closer look.

"Yep. I was thinkin maybe we could pick up some campin gear along the way. Would you be more comfortable campin in the woods somewhere than stayin at motels?"

"It won't matter if we stay in motels. It'd be only for a night here and there. The problem would be findin motels where we could stake the horses out. Or did you plan on getting rid of the horses?"

"No, I don't want to do that. Not unless we have to. I think as long as we stick to stayin in small towns we ought to be able to find places to stake the horses for over night. Motels would be most comfortable. If we started gettin nervous about things we can always pick up some gear and head for the woods."

"Sounds good to me. You about ready for bed?" Ennis asked.

"In a minute. I wanna take these out to the barn where I won't forget 'em."

"Okay. I'll walk out with you." Ennis said and they grabbed their jackets and hats and headed out towards the barn. "I'll feel a lot better tomorrow after we pick up our guns." He added.

"Me too. Not that I could hit anything but they don't know that." Jack said and placed the books next to his saddle.

"Well, let's hope we don't have to use 'em. We ain't got time for no lessons."

"I'm kind a like this old place." Jack said as he came up behind Ennis for a hug and a nuzzle.

"It's good us bein together, Jack. I should a gone off with you years ago."

"C'mon. Let's go to bed. We'll be out a here tomorrow and on our way to findin us our own place." They stepped outside and as Jack secured the barn door, Ennis stood rigid in his tracks.

"What?" Jack asked as he bumped into the back of a non-moving Ennis.

"Somethin don't feel right."

"I don't hear nothin." Jack said as he took a quick look around.

"That's just it. Nothin! No noises at all." Ennis whispered.

"It's just quiet, Ennis. Don't mean nothin."

"Maybe not. Maybe so. Let's take a walk. I wanna go up front and see what's goin on across the road."

"Okay." Jack said as he followed Ennis down the long driveway out towards the street. The last part they got back into some trees and made their way closer to the fence.

"Four cars!" Jack whispered.

"Yep. Our friends got some company." Just then, two more cars pulled up, cut their lights and four men got out of each car.

Jack stood starin with his mouth hanging open when Ennis grabbed him by the jacket collar and hissed through clenched jaws, "RUN!"

They took off towards the barn on a dead run. Neither one of them were all that used to a lot of running and by the time they reached the barn they were both sweating bullets and gasping for each breath.

They saddled their horses in record time. Ennis grabbed the wire and wire cutters and jammed them in his jacket pocket. Jack grabbed his books and the two of them could hear the sound of cars coming up the driveway as they galloped towards the back fence.

In minutes they were on the ground and pushing their way through the fence and Ennis was on his knees twisting the wire closed behind them.

"Ennis! Look!" Jack said and pointed off in the direction of the house. "Smoke!"

"They're settin fire to the place! Damn, I wish I had my rifle!" Ennis said.

"NO! There's too many of 'em. Let's get out a here."

They mounted their jittery horses and took off into the woods. It took them an hour to clear the woods and winding back roads and make it to the highway.

"Which way?" Jack asked as they stopped for a moment.

"This way should be north. If we're about where I think we are, we got about ten miles to go before we get to the pickup. Out here a long the highway the road seems pretty smooth. We ought to make pretty good time."

"You don't think they'll be comin drivin back along this road?" Jack asked as he watched the road nervously.

"Can't tell. But we got no choice. We saved some time by not having to cut any fences to get this far but there's no other way but straight down this road unless you wanna cut every fence between here and the pickup. That's ten miles worth and will take a lot a time. I say we head straight down the road."

"All right. The moon's pretty bright. The horses ought to be able to see where we're goin." Jack said.

"Yeah. As long as we stay right along side the road it ought to be smooth enough. You ready?"

"Yep." Jack answered and the two of them took off in a gallop – the horses seemed happy to have a chance to run and get away from whatever was scaring their riders.

About eight miles down the road they came to a stand of trees and stopped to rest the horses and catch their breath.

"You doin all right?" Ennis asked.

"I'm fine. I was just thinkin how lucky we are that you sensed somethin wrong. Otherwise we'd a been up in smoke about now."

"Well, it was lucky that you decided to take them books out to the barn. Did you remember to grab 'em?"

"I did. I got 'em here in my jacket."

"Good. Okay. We shouldn't have more than a couple miles left to go."

"We haven't seen a single car. You think they're still out at the place?"

"Hell, I don't know where they are. I just know where you and I are and that's about two miles from the pickup. Once we make that, our chances improve by about 90 percent, I'd say."

"Let's go then." Jack said and they took off on a hard gallop.

"There it is!" Ennis called and they rode even harder the last stretch and turned happily up the driveway and skidded to a stop behind the trailer.

They jumped down yanked the saddles off, tossed them in the back of the pick up and loaded the horses up. While Jack was securing the trailer gate, Ennis took off for the barn. The door was standing wide open and the place was mostly empty. He did find a bale of hay which he hefted up on one shoulder and spotted a big galvanized washtub that he grabbed with the other hand. He ran out to the truck, dumped them in the back, and climbed into the cab. Jack was fumbling with the keys when they saw the first cars go by.

"Is that them?" Jack asked as four cars passed one right after the other.

"Looks like it." Ennis answered as they sat rigid, afraid any movement might draw their attention. No one stopped or slowed down and once they were gone, Jack started the engine.

"You think we should wait for the other two cars?"

"The guards? I don't know." And before they could make any decisions the two guards cars came driving by – neither of them taking any notice of the pickup that had been sitting there for days now.

"That was close." Jack said as he started out. "If we head that way, we might run right into them." Jack said when they got to the road.

"That's the way to the Interstate, Jack."

"Well we're not goin that way." Jack pulled out onto the road and headed back towards the farm. "Sooner or later this road's got a connect with a highway."

In minutes they were driving past the turn off to the farm and they both looked over at the smoke and the red glow in the night sky.

"Probably burned to the ground by now." Ennis said after a bit. "Damn shame. That was a nice little place."

"We'll find us a place, Ennis. Nicer and bigger and better in every way. You'll see."

Jack assured him as they wove their way from one little country road to another. Finally they hit the highway.

"Which way?" Ennis asked.

"Don't know. You got a preference?"

"I don't care as long as it takes us a long, long way away from here."

Jack spun the tires and threw stones as he turned up onto the highway and in seconds they were hurtling down the highway at 80 miles an hour. After about thirty minutes Ennis said, "You better slow down some. We don't wanna get stopped by no highway patrol and we're pullin horses remember."

"Oh shit, I forgot about them." Jack took a quick glance in the rear view."

"They're Okay. Just take it down to the speed limit. Even though we're runnin for our lives, we don't have to let everyone know it." Ennis continued glancing in his side view mirror and watching every cross road that they came to.

"You're right. We don't need to be drawin attention to ourselves. We got a act normal like."

"Looks like we're heading due north on 35." Ennis said as they passed a sign.

"What's north a Kansas?" Jack asked. "I flunked geography in school."

"Gimme your atlas and I'll look it up."

"You don't know either?" Jack grinned at him.

"Nope. Never cared to know much about any place but Wyomin." Ennis said as he flipped through the pages. Just inside the cover, a few pages he came to a map of the US.

"Looks like we're in Missouri right now and headin for Iowa."

"Iowa sounds good to me." Jack said and relaxed a bit the further they got away from the farm.

Two hours later they passed across the border into Iowa and spotted a sign that said, Nine Eagles State Park 12 miles.

"How about we stop for a while?" Jack asked as Ennis read the sign aloud.

"Good idea. We can take the horses out of the trailer for a spell. They got us out a some serious trouble – we need to take care of 'em."

"Yes. Good idea." Jack agreed and headed off the highway towards the campsite.

"Looks like they got a little store." Jack said as he drove into the park.

"Probably ain't open yet."

"It's gettin light. Maybe it'll be open by the time we get the horses settled." Jack said and drove slowly past the little store.

"Opens at nine." Ennis said and looked at the clock on the dash that said 6:23am.

"That'll give us time to take a little nap." Jack gave a tired smile as he drove to a deserted spot and parked.

They got the horses out and staked them nearby. Ennis pulled out some hay for them while Jack filled the wash tub with water. They took a short walk around the place to assure themselves that they were safe then returned to the truck, got in, made themselves as comfortable as possible and dozed off.

They awoke to the sound of a dog barking and three kids trailing along behind it. They stopped and looked at the horses but didn't get too close and in a few minutes they moved on.

"Did you sleep?" Jack asked as he tried to stretch in the confined space.

"Uh huh. You?" Ennis rolled his shoulders and twisted his neck to get the kinks out.

"Yeah. Look, it's 9:30. Let's go see what that little store has to offer." Jack popped out of his door and gave a massive stretch and yawn.

"Whatever they have, I want at least six of." Ennis grinned at him and took a minute to check on the horses that were happily munching away at some greenery nearby.

"Me too! I'm starved!" Jack agreed as they made their way to the store.

Jack grabbed up a package of cinnamon rolls and Ennis grabbed another. They each got a cup of coffee and sipped while they piled up food on the front counter. Ennis got a Styrofoam ice chest and bag of ice. Jack grabbed up half dozen ready made sandwiches from the cooler. Ennis snagged a six-pack of sodas and that completed their order.

They got a second cup of coffee and headed back to their truck. They dumped everything in the back but the cinnamon rolls and took seats at a nearby picnic table and each of them devoured an entire package. In minutes they were licking their fingers and finishing off their coffee.

"Man, I wish we'd had time to grab our shavin kits." Jack complained as he scratched at some whiskers under his jaw.

"We were lucky to get out alive, Jack. We can always pick up a razor somewhere."

"I wonder if that store has any?"

"I don't know. We was just lookin for food when we was in there. Wanna go back and take a look?" Ennis said as he was scratching too. "I sure could use a shave."

"Yeah. Let's see what they got. I need a tooth brush too. And maybe some bath soap. Looks like those restrooms have showers in 'em. I sure could use a shower."

"Let's see what they got." Ennis agreed as they returned to the store.

A few minutes later they came out with another double arm load of bags. "That store sure had a lot of stuff for such a little place." Jack said.

"Sure enough. Looks like we're not the only ones needin everythin." Ennis agreed.

They set their bags in the back of their truck and dug through them until they came up with bath towels, soap, tooth brushes, tooth paste, razors, shaving cream, deodorant and T-Shirts that said Nine Eagles State Park on them. They hauled their stuff into the rest rooms and cleaned up.

"Man that felt good!" Jack said as they headed back to their truck.

"Sure enough." Ennis agreed as they stuffed everything into plastic bags and got it all situated in the back so it wouldn't blow out while they were driving.

"So where to next?" Ennis asked as Jack got the road atlas out and flipped to Iowa.

"This is perfect. We're going to Des Moines. It's about eighty miles, looks like."

"Okay. What makes it perfect?" Ennis asked as they loaded up the horses and got ready to leave.

"It's a state capital and it's a straight shot, looks like about a hundred and twenty miles or so, to another state capital, Omaha, Nebraska."

"How does that make it perfect?"

"For our new IDs. It's best and fastest if you can do it out of a state capital. We get to Des Moines, find a place to board the horses, preferably on the west side a town, then we get us an apartment."

"An apartment? You plannin on us settlin there in Des Moines? Wouldn't it be better to be father away from Kansas?"

"No, we ain't gonna settle there. We just need a place to stay while we wait for our IDs to come through – we need an address."

"Makes sense. I still don't see how you're gonna get us new IDs though." Ennis said as they pulled the trailer through the narrow roads and out onto the highway again.

"You'll see. We just got a nice short ride this mornin. Eighty miles ain't nothin." Jack said as he headed north along the highway.

An hour and fifteen minutes later they entered the outskirts of Des Moines.

"That didn't take long." Ennis said as Jack pulled off the highway and into a gas station/restaurant.

Jack filled the tank while Ennis checked on the horses that were a bit restless with the smell of gasoline bothering them some.

"Now what? You wanna eat?"

"Nah. Not yet. We need to find a phone book." Jack answered.

"Looks like the phones are inside." Ennis pointed towards the restaurant and they headed in that direction.

"Grab us some coffee to go while I see if I can find us a place for the horses." Jack said.

Ennis ordered two coffees and just finished paying for them, when Jack joined him. They walked out to the truck and got in.

"You find a place?" Ennis asked.

"Yep. Cobbler Road." He reached into his jacket pocked and pulled out some pages he tore from the phone book. "This here's a street map of Des Moines. Here's the place for the horses." He handed Ennis a second page and pointed to an ad for boarding horses, and a third page advertising apartments for rent. "There it is. Cobbler Road." He said as he ran a finger over the map.

"Cobbler Road it is." Ennis agreed. "It'll be good to get the horses out in a pasture again. They need to get some exercise."

"Once we get settled in, we can come ride 'em every day and see to them as much as you want. We'll have, probably some weeks to sit around and wait for the state to send us the new Birth Certificates. And once we get them, we can get our new Driver's licenses."

"And you think they're just gonna send 'em to us?" Ennis asked, still not believing it could be so easy to pick up new IDs."

"Sure they will. They do it all the time for criminals. Why wouldn't they do it for two honest guys who are just tryin to stay alive?"

"I don't know, Jack. It sounds pretty risky to me. You sure this is gonna work?"

"Positive. It works all the time on TV."

"This ain't TV, Jack. This is real life." Ennis reminded him.

"There's the turn off." Jack said as they came to the sign that said Cobbler's Road.

Ten minutes down Cobbler's Road they saw the sign – Horses Boarded – and turned in.

Twenty minutes later, they were driving out, leaving the trailer in its assigned spot.

"They seemed real nice." Ennis said as they drove off. "Expensive though."

"Yeah. It's a nice set up all right. And worth the money. All them horses looked like they was well taken care of.

"Uh huh. Place looked good and clean." Ennis agreed.

"And they let us leave the trailer there. It's going to be a lot easier gettin around town without havin to drag that along behind us."

"Yep."

"We passed some apartments back just before we turned off the highway. Let's see if they got any furnished ones available." Jack said as he threaded his way through the morning traffic.

He pulled up into the apartment complex and parked in front of the Office.

Five minutes later they were back out. No, there weren't any furnished apartments in the complex but they found out that down the road about a mile, the Casa Maria apartments did have furnished apartments.

In less than an hour they had the keys to their new apartment and unloaded the stuff from the pickup inside.

"This is real nice, Jack. I hate that you had to sign a six month lease though. Do you figure we'll be here that long?"

"No. I doubt it. Couple months though, possibly." Jack said as he dumped his saddle into the second bedroom and Ennis did the same with his.

"We need to find us a Wal-Mart." Jack said as they brought in the rest of their bags.

"What is it with you and Wal-Mart? You own stock in the company or somethin?" Ennis grinned at him.

"Nope. Wish I did! They just got everythin we need, is all."

"Well that last one sure enough did."

"They're all like that, Ennis. Everyone I ever been in just seems to have everythin you could need. Hey look, a phone book!" Jack found one in a kitchen cabinet and started shuffling through the pages. "Here we go. Regency Avenue. Where's that on the map?"

Ennis handed him the map and they studied it. "Clear on the other side of town."

"Must be one closer." Jack said and read the page again. "Lincoln Square. Where's that at?"

"Bingo. Looks pretty close. Are you ready?" Jack asked with a grin.

"You sure like to move things along fast, don't you?" Ennis grinned back as they headed out to the truck and got in.

"Don't see any sense in burnin daylight." Jack grinned as they headed out.

Two hours later they pulled back into the parking lot with the entire back of the truck piled full of their purchases and started hauling it all inside.

"Jack, I ain't never had this much new stuff in my whole life." Ennis said as he was unwrapped his packages of underwear and socks.

"We needed all this stuff, Ennis. We got a have clothes and sheets and blankets and pillows for the beds, towels to wash with and detergent, and dishes and pots and pans and food. What did we get that we didn't need?"

"Nothin, I guess. I just ain't never spent this much money at one time 'cept for when I bought my trailer."

"Are you missin that trailer?" Jack asked.

"No. I don't miss it at all." Ennis answered but he was a bit distracted and Jack picked up on it.

"You all right, Cowboy?" Jack asked as he slipped an arm around Ennis' waist and nuzzled a kiss against his neck.

"Yeah, I was just thinkin."

"What about?"

"You think they're lookin for us or do you think they figured we burned up in that house?"

"I don't know the answer to that one. They'd have to wait for it to cool down enough for them to dig through the ashes. I have no idea how long that takes. At least a couple days I would think."

"But if they saw the horses gone, wouldn't they know that we got away and come lookin for us?"

"That's a possibility. And that's what we have to think about – that they are out there lookin for us. That way we'll be more careful."

"How many of 'em do you think there are?" Ennis asked.

"I have no idea. From what I've heard about the Mafia, they are everywhere in every state. I don't know if that's true or not but I've never heard of them bein involved in the farm and ranch business. There ain't enough profit in it to interest them. We keep on with our plans, get ourselves new IDs then find us a little place somewhere, and we'll be safe enough."

Ennis turned and grabbed onto Jack. "I'm so glad you're with me. I'd a been dead for sure if you hadn't come for me." His voice choked up with emotion.

"We'll get through this, Ennis. And we'll have that sweet life I promised you. You'll see."

"I just wanna be with you, Jack. Whatever time I got left – I wanna be with you."

"You got me, Cowboy." Jack teared up at the anguish he heard in Ennis' voice.

"Jack?"

"Uh huh?"

"You do know that if they find us … we're both gonna be dead?"

"Uh huh."

"You ain't mad at me for getting you into this mess?"

"Nope. Not one bit. If you're in danger, there is no place else I belong but right beside you."

"Even if they kill you too?"

"Ennis, if they killed you … I'd be good as dead already. Might as well be in the ground right beside you."

"Jack …" Ennis pulled back so he could look Jack in the face. "I don't want nothin to happen to you."

"Me neither!" Jack grinned at him. "But I'm sure as hell right where I wanna be right now and that's with you and that's where I'm gonna stay."

They hugged mightily and were jolted back to reality with a knock on their door. After a moment's panic, Jack went to the front window and looked out. "It's the manager." he whispered and Ennis almost passed out from relief.

Jack opened the door.

"Here. I was supposed to give you this welcome packet. I'm sorry I forgot. This is my first day as Manager here and I guess I kind a messed up." The young woman apologized.

"No, no you didn't." Jack smiled at her. "You did just fine. Thanks for this."

"Well, if you need anything, I'm in the office until 5:30. The number's in there. There's a lot of helpful stuff. A map of the area and stores and restaurants and stuff listed; and some coupons in the back. It's all in there. If you need anything, just call."

"We will. Thanks a lot." Jack thanked her and closed the door and locked it. "You Okay?"

"Yeah. It just scared the shit out a me is all."

"Yeah, me too. Come on. Let's fix ourselves some lunch and get busy. We got a find a cemetery."

"You really think that's gonna work? Just find some name on a tombstone somewhere?"

"It's worked before. I don't see why it wouldn't work again."

"Okay. So what are we supposed to do again?" Ennis asked as they got out of the truck in the quiet pathways of the beautifully landscaped cemetery an hour later.

"This section here says it's for infants. That's what we want. Find a grave that has the birth date close to 1944, the year we were born. Look for an old stone." They separated and walked through the rows and rows of neatly tended grave sites.

Ennis let out a whistle and Jack looked up. Ennis gave a wave of the arm and Jack joined him. "You find one?"

"How about 1945. That close enough?"

"Jeremy Franklin Marshal, born September 3, 1945, died June 12, 1946. This is perfect, Ennis." Jack pulled out a stub of a pencil and wrote the information down and stuffed it in his pocket. "Now let's go find the office."

"The office?"

"Uh huh. We got a find out the names of his parents. We need that before we can file for a new birth certificate."

"How you gonna find that out?"

"Ask 'em." Jack grinned as he parked the truck in front of the office and they got out and went inside.

"May I help you gentlemen?" A woman asked them.

"Yes, thank you. We're looking for the grave of my uncle, Jeremy Franklin. He was just a baby when he passed in 1946."

"Did you look in our infant section?" She asked.

"We did and I think I found it but I'm not sure. Could you please check and make sure it's him?"

"Do you have the birth date?"

"Yes. It's the same as out there, September 3, 1945 but I got a make sure it's him. Could you check and see if the parents listed are Caroline and Mathew Marshall of Omaha, Nebraska?"

"Certainly. Just one moment please." She sat down at her desk and fiddled with her computer. "Oh no. I'm sorry. I guess it isn't the one you're looking for after all. This one parents were Carl and Elizabeth Mathews from right here in Des Moines."

"Oh darn! I was hopin we'd found it. Well I guess we'll just have to keep lookin. Thank you anyway." Jack smiled at her as they took their leave. As soon as they got in the truck, Jack took out his piece of paper and wrote down, Carl and Elizabeth Mathews, Des Moines.

"It's that simple?" Ennis asked.

"Uh huh." Jack smiled and headed back to their apartment.

"So why aren't we lookin for another one? Don't we need two?"

"We'll drive to Omaha in the morning for the next one. We want the second one to be from a different state."

"Why?"

"It might just look a little suspicious if two requests for new birth certificates showed up in the same department at the same time. This way, they will be handled by different people from different states and probably won't even raise an eyebrow."

"How'd you get so smart about such things, Jack?"

"I watched a lot of TV. That's about all I had to do down in Childress. That and drink."

"Okay. So we do the next one tomorrow morning. What do we do with the rest of the afternoon then?"

"We see about gettin the phone hooked up in case we want to order in some pizza. You like pizza?"

"I had it a time or two. It ain't half bad."

"We get the phone hooked up and we'll order some for supper."

"Sounds good to me." Ennis agreed.

xxxxxx

That evening as they sat munching on pizza and drinking beer, Ennis asked, "Why'd you get this place in Cooper's name?"

"In case they asked for ID. All I had to offer was that bill of sale for the truck and the title and insurance papers. They all had Cooper's name on it so if I got asked for ID, I'd just use that and shoot them the same story about my old lady burning all my stuff."

"She never even asked." Ennis said.

"True. We lucked out there. Let's hope our luck holds until we get those birth certificates."

"You think that's all we'll need to get a driver's license?"

"Yep. And once we get the driver's licenses, we're all set. We can go anywhere in the country we want."

"It just all seems too easy to me." Ennis worried.

"It ain't exactly easy, Ennis. I mean, you got a have the balls to pull it off. You got a stand up to people and lie about who you are and make 'em believe it. You can't let 'em doubt you for a minute or they get suspicious."

"I ain't much of an actor, Jack."

"You don't have to be. Just be yourself. Only with a name change. I'll coach you and you'll be with me and can see how I do it. I can do it all for both of us until it comes time to get your driver's license then you'll have to do that part so you can get your picture took. It'll be easy though. You'll see. These people behind the desks are just clerks and aren't suspectin people to come up and lie to them. They ain't there to question you. They don't really care who or what you are. They are just there to put in the hours to get their pay check. I'll be with you every step of the way. If you get a question you can't answer, just cough or somethin and I'll answer for you."

"And you seen all t his stuff on TV and it worked?"

"Uh huh. It was on TV, Ennis. Don't you ever watch TV?"

"Not much. Ain't all that stuff made up though?"

"Sure it is but that don't mean it won't work. You saw how easy it was to get those names this afternoon."

"And we got a do it all over again tomorrow? You think it will work twice?"

"Why not? Omaha is a big city. It's got a have more than one cemetery. If it don't work at one, we'll try it at another and another until we find one where it does work."

"And then what? We write just write a letter sayin we want new birth certificates?"

"Nah. They got forms you need to fill out. After we get the name tomorrow in Omaha, we'll hit the court house and fill out the forms and turn 'em in. Then we'll come back here and do the same thing at the courthouse here. That's why it's best to do it in the state capital. Otherwise, you got to write off for the forms, wait for them to come in the mail, then mail them back again. That part alone would add weeks to the wait."

"Okay. Whatever you think is best. You kept me alive this long. I ain't got no complaints."

"It'll work, Cowboy. I promise you." Jack answered and said a silent little prayer that he could pull this off and keep them both alive.

"I just don't like sittin here all this time. I feel like a sittin duck." Ennis said.

"Well, we could always rent a house that has a garage to put the truck in if you think they might have figured out that we bought it, but you won't find one that's furnished and we'd have to buy furniture and a lawn mower and all that shit. Just seems like a waste of a lot of money to me since we'll be leavin here soon as we get our IDs."

"You think they figured out we got the truck?" Ennis asked.

"I don't know how they think. But it would make sense to me that they would figure we had some transportation other than the horses. The fact that the horses are gone and haven't been found roamin around loose – they got a figure we took 'em with us. If they don't come up with any bodies from the house, then they're probably searching places where you can get to on horseback – parks and such."

"Maybe we shouldn't stay in parks no more."

"I doubt they'd be lookin this far away this soon. And we got the apartment for now anyway so we won't be in the parks for a while. I think they'd be concentrating pretty much on the area where the farm is."

"I hate that they burned that house. It was really nice." Ennis said.

"Yeah, it was. We'll find another one, just as nice. You about ready for bed? I want to get an early start in the morning."

"Sure enough." Ennis agreed and they cleared away their mess and went to bed.

xxxxxx

The next morning went just as smoothly as the day before. They came away from the cemetery with the name of Alfred LaRue Holt, born October 23, 1943 – Parents Jessica and La Rue Holt from Omaha.

It wasn't until they were walkin up the courthouse steps that Ennis started to get nervous.

"I don't know about this, Jack. What if there's someone there that knows these people?"

"Then we shoot 'em another story about being a relative or somethin. Just relax. I'll take care a this."

"What do you need?" The surly young man behind the counter asked.

"I need to get a new birth certificate?" Jack said.

"Fourth floor, vital statistics."

"Thank you." Jack smiled and he and Ennis headed for the elevator.

"I hate courthouses." Ennis said. "Only one I ever been in was when I got divorced."

"We should go lay a wreath on the front steps of that court house then." Jack grinned at him.

Ennis couldn't help but return the grin just a bit. He had to admit that being rid of Alma was indeed a blessing.

"Can I help you?" A polite young lady asked.

"Yes. I need a new birth certificate." Jack smiled sweetly at her.

The girl fumbled through her drawer a minute then pulled out a form. "Just fill this out and sign it." She handed it to him attached to a clip board with a pen hanging from a string and motioned him over to some chairs.

"That's a lot a information, Jack. How you gonna fill in all those blanks?" Ennis whispered.

"I'll fill in what I know and skip the rest." Jack said confidently and started writing.

"Here you go." Jack smiled as he handed the clipboard to the clerk. "I filled in what I know but I don't know lots a that stuff. My grandparent's names? Heck, I just always called 'em grandpa and grandma and I left home when I wasn't but 15. The few times I went back to visit with my Momma before she passed, we never spent no time talkin about relatives."

"Oh that's all right. I'm sure this will be enough information. I don't know why they ask for all that stuff anyway. All they really need is your birth date and your parent's names."

"That's a relief. And they'll just mail it to that address there?"

"That's right. It's take a few weeks maybe a month. They're slower than molasses over there in documents." She smiled apologetically at him.

"Oh that's all right as long as I get it. Thank you." Another sweet smile and they were off.

"I just can't believe it's that easy." Ennis said as the elevator door closed behind them.

"You just got a pretend, Ennis. Pretend you're what and who you say you are and be nice to people."

"Yeah, I noticed all them smiles you were givin that gal."

"It's all part a the game, Cowboy. You got a be friendly and oh so grateful for whatever help you get. People like that. You start actin all stiff and scared and people get suspicious. That's when you get caught."

"And you ain't afraid at all about gettin caught?" Ennis asked as they crossed the lobby, went out the front door and down the steps.

"It ain't like we're doin nothin really criminal here, Ennis. We get caught; it'd probably be just a fine or somethin."

"I don't wanna go to jail, Jack." Ennis said as they climbed into the truck and headed out.

"I don't wanna get dead, Cowboy! We get caught, we just shoot 'em a story that we was tryin to hide from our ex-wives. We can say we saw it done on TV – which I did. They run a fingerprint on us and they'd find nothin. I ain't never been fingerprinted before – have you?"

"Nope. And I hope I never have to be neither."

"Well then, we got nothin to worry about. Everythin's been workin just fine."

"So far." Ennis reminded him.

"It'll be the same when we get back to Des Moines. You'll see."

"I hope so."

They stopped at the apartment for lunch and headed for the courthouse.

"I'm glad you're drivin. I hate all this traffic." Ennis said.

"It ain't so bad. It ain't nothin like drivin in Dallas."

"You drove in Dallas?" Ennis asked.

"I did. A couple a times. It was a nightmare. I got lost three times. Same day! I hated it. This ain't so bad."

"Maybe not to you but I'd sure hate to have to drive in this every day."

"Don't worry about it. I'll do the drivin while we're here. There's the courthouse and there's even some parkin close by." Jack pulled into a parking spot across the street.

"Do I need to do this or are you gonna do it again?" Ennis asked as they walk through the front door into the lobby.

"I can do it." Jack said and walked up to the information window.

"Yes?"

"I need a new birth certificate." He said with a smile.

"Second floor, Documents." She said and nodded towards the stairs.

"Thank you, Ma'am."

They headed up the stairs.

"You ain't even nervous?" Ennis whispered.

"Nope. Nervous was dashing thought the woods on horseback with a dozen Mafia with guns were burnin the house down behind me. That was nervous." They headed over to the window marked Documents.

"Hi. I need to see about gettin a new birth certificate."

The woman rifled through her papers and pulled out a form. She snapped it to a clipboard and handed it to him. "Fill out as much information as you can."

"I hope this works." Ennis whispered.

"Relax. It's working just fine." Jack started scribbling in the information he had.

"Sorry, but I don't know most a that stuff. I don't know my grandparents names. I always just called 'em grandpa and grandma. I left home when I wasn't but fifteen and the few times I was back to visit with Momma before she passed, we never talked none about relatives."

"Oh that's all right. All they really need is your full name, birth date and your parent's names and where you were born. You got all that. There shouldn't be any problem."

"Oh that's good! And you'll send it to that address?"

"It'll take a few weeks, a month maybe. These things take time."

"Oh that's all right. As long as I get it sooner or later." Jack smiled at her. "Thank you."

He turned and they walked back down the hall and down the stairs.

"That's it?" Ennis asked as the tension eased just a bit.

"That's it." Jack assured him. "Piece a cake."

They walked out to the truck and got in. "Why don't we go check on the horses; maybe take a little ride?" Jack asked as he headed away from the courthouse.

"I'd like that." Ennis gave him a nervous little smile. "You pulled it off, Jack. I never figured it'd work."

"The people we was working with are just clerks, Ennis. They ain't detectives lookin to catch people in lies. They are there just to put in the hours and get a paycheck."

"Yeah, but a birth certificate is an official document." Ennis said.

"Yep and it's as easy to get as the Sunday papers." Jack smiled at him.

"You think getting the driver's license will be this easy?"

"Yep. Long as we keep our cool and give 'em a convincin story."

"I ain't good at lyin, Jack."

"It ain't exactly lyin, Cowboy, it's more like pretendin."

"Same thing."

"What it is, is keepin us alive and safe. Think of it that way." Jack said.

Ennis thought about it a minute and shook his head. "I'll think of it that way."

xxxxxx

SIX WEEKS LATER

"All right now, you wanna be Jeremy Mathews or Alfred Holt?" Jack asked as he folded the birth certificates and put them back in the envelopes.

"Don't matter to me." Ennis shook his head like he still couldn't believe it was really happening.

"Okay then. You're Alfred and I'm Jeremy. I like that name. Kinda sounds like a movie star; don't it?"

"I don't know about that." Ennis grinned just a bit despite his nervousness.

"Come on, Alfred. Let's get this show on the road." Jack grinned as they headed out and got into the truck.

They ate breakfast in Omaha and sat and drank coffee while they waited for the DMV to open up.

"Five minutes to. Let's go." Jack said as he tossed some bills on the table.

Ennis was stiff as a board and lickin his lips nervously as they entered and got in line.

"Relax and just watch what I do." Jack whispered.

"Hi. My name's Jeremy Mathews and I need a new license."

"Where's the old one?" The man behind the desk asked.

"God only knows! I lost it last week; wallet and all. I got in a little tussle over in the parkin lot of a bar. Next mornin, I noticed it was gone. I went lookin for it but it was long gone."

"You'll have to take the test then."

"That's fine with me. I been drivin since I was fifteen. I reckon I can pass it all right." Jack smiled at him.

"Fill this out and get it back to me." He handed Jack a form and they took a seat.

"You got a take a test?" Ennis asked.

"Yeah. It won't be nothin. These tests never are. You just got a answer some drivin questions – that kind a thing. And probably take a short five minute drive." Jack said as he scribbled out the information on the form.

He took the form back to the man and was told to take a seat and wait until his name was called. They sat for ten minutes before the name Jeremy Mathews was called out. At first Jack didn't answer and then Ennis elbowed him in the ribs. That's you, Jeremy Movie Star."

"Oh. Yeah." He got up and followed the clerk over to another section where he was sat down at a desk and handed a test form. Ennis took a seat nearby and watched everything.

In minutes Jack was finished and took the test up to the man. He was told to wait again and he went back and sat with Ennis.

"How'd it go?"

"Not too bad. It's mostly common sense stuff. I'm sure you'll be able to handle it."

Five minutes later someone came over to him and said they were ready for the test drive. Jack got up with a smile and followed him out the door. Ennis waited where he was for a while then got up for a drink from the drinking fountain. He paced a bit then noticed the restroom sign and went in. He relieved himself, washed his hands and headed back to his seat. He found a newspaper lying on a table and picked it up and started reading. Before he knew it, Jack was back and they were given papers and walking over to another area.

"What next?" Ennis asked as they stood in another line.

"Got a get my picture took. Then we get to sit and wait again." Jack said. He took his hat off and smoothed his hair back. He didn't want it sticking out in all directions for his picture.

"Next" the woman behind the counter called out. He stepped up to the window and took the quick eye test then stepped back by the screen while she snapped his photo.

"Have a seat in front until your name is called." The woman said without even looking up at him and called out, "Next".

"That wasn't so bad." Jack said as they took a seat and waited.

"I just hope it works."

"It already has. Don't worry so much. In a few minutes I'll have my license and then we'll get back to Des Moines and you can get yours."

"What if I don't pass the test?"

"Why wouldn't you? You know how to drive, you've driven for years. You'll pass it. It ain't that hard. And all you got a get is seventy percent. You get below that and we'll just get us a booklet, take it home and study it and you can take the test again."

"There ain't no trick questions on it?"

"None that I saw. I don't even know what my score was and I don't care. He said I passed and that's all I care about. You don't have to be perfect, Ennis."

"I'll just be glad when this is all over. I never been any good at takin tests."

"The hardest thing about all this is the sittin and waitin. Fill out this paper and wait, take this test and wait, get your picture took and wait. Wait, wait, wait. And there's nothin to waitin. You just got a sit on your ass and do it."

"I can do that part. It gives me time to think."

"Well don't over-think this. There ain't that much to it. You just got to fill out their forms, take their little test and get your picture took. It's time consuming but it ain't difficult."

"Jeremy Mathews?" The name was called out and Jack jumped up.

"Let's go." He said as they got up and walked to the desk. The clerk handed him his new license, still warm from the laminating process, and they headed out the door.

"Now I'm all legal." Jack smiled as he climbed behind the wheel of the truck.

"Now I got a do it." Ennis said with a little shudder.

"It won't be all that bad. You'll see. Once you got yours, we're free as birds. We can take off tomorrow morning, first thing."

"I'm lookin forward to that. We been here too long. Someone could still be lookin for us."

Ennis was visibly shaking as they walked into the DMV in Des Moines.

"Just relax, Alfred. You lost your wallet but you got your birth certificate for ID. Nothin to it."

"I need a new license." Ennis said at the window and waited for the man to dig out the form.

He took a seat, with Jack right along side of him, and filled out the form. There really wasn't that much to it and in a few minutes he was handing it back.

"Over there." The man said and pointed to some chairs.

The next hour went almost identically the same as it had for Jack. Maybe even a little easier as the man never even asked how he lost his license – just shoved the paper work at him and that was that. The test was easy enough. Ennis filled out what he knew and guessed at the rest. He was called to take the driving test and drove around the neighborhood for about five minutes. He had been worried that the man might ask him some questions he couldn't answer while they were driving but the guy only talked about the weather. Before he knew it he was getting his photo taken and sitting and waiting for his new license.

"Told you, it'd be easy." Jack said as they wait for the new license.

"I ain't got it yet, Jeremy Movie Star."

"You will have and we're goin straight back to the apartment to celebrate our freedom."

"Is that what you call it? We been doin nothin but celebratin for the last six weeks. We better get ourselves used to workin again." Ennis leaned back and relaxed a bit.

"We will. Soon as they call your name. What do you want me to call you? Alfred? Al? or Fred?" Jack asked.

"I don't care. I don't expect I'll be far enough away from your side for you to have to 'call' me at all." Ennis gave a little bit of a smile.

"You're right about that."

"Alfred Holt?" The name was called out and they both jumped up.

"Freedom!" Jack whispered as Ennis stuck the new card in his wallet and they walked out.

xxxxxx

Somewhere in the United States …

"Ennis del Mar! What the hell did you think you were doing?" Jack said as he ran to the man lying in the dirt.

"Huh?" Ennis blinked his eyes and tried to breathe.

"You ain't been on a horse in ten years! You could a killed yourself!"

"What'd you call me?"

"Ennis del Mar," Jack said, "You forget your real name already?"

"I ain't heard that name in near forty years."

"Well Freddy, whether you like it or not, it's your real name. Now do you think you could get up out a the dirt?"

"I'm comfortable right where I am."

"You always did like layin in my lap. But if you really was Ennis del Mar, you'd be face down in my lap instead of lookin up at me." Jack grinned.

"Well if you give me a hand here, I might could turn over."

"I could help you, Freddy, but once we got you turned over, it wouldn't do neither of us no good." Jack laughed.

Ennis snorted and laughed until he started coughing.

"You all right there?" Jack helped him to sit up.

"I'm fine. Just give me a hand here and help me up."

Jack struggled to his feet and pulled on Ennis till he got him upright. "What the hell possessed you to get on that horse, Freddy. You ain't in any shape to be riding."

"The horse was just standin there all saddled and ready. It was like he was waitin for me to take him for a ride."

"He was waitin for the new owner to finish up in the barn. Are you sure you're all right? Nothin broken?"

"Nothin busted but my pride." He dusted off his jeans.

"Well come on then. The car from the Home is here and they're waitin on us."

"I'm comin, I'm comin." They hobbled into the house holding on to one another.

"Jeremy …"

"Yeah?"

"Say it one more time. I liked hearin it."

"What?"

"My name. Say my name."

"Ennis. Ennis del Mar." Jack whispered so the man in the front room couldn't hear.

"Thank you … Jack Twist."

Jack grinned at him and blinked back the tears in his eyes.

"There you are!" Charlie Everman from the Retirement Home said with relief. "I thought I was gonna have to send out a search party for the two of you."

"Nah, Freddy here just had to say good bye to the horses." Jack assured him.

"I already loaded up your luggage so if you're ready, we can leave now."

"All right, all right." Jack answered as he took Ennis by the arm and the two of them walked slowly to the car.

"Watch your step there, Jeremy. You know how your knees are."

"Ain't nothin wrong with my knees no more. They're brand new, titanium, both of 'em." Jack said as he climbed awkwardly into the back seat. Ennis followed right behind him with Jack reaching out an arm to stead him.

"Brand new ain't always the best. I'm gonna miss this place." Ennis said as the station wagon turned around and they headed down the long driveway.

"Me too, Freddy. Me too."

"The new place is nice. We still get to be together." Ennis said. "But it won't be the same."

"Nope. I won't have to eat no more a your cookin." Jack joked.

"And help will be close by if you have another fall." Ennis said.

"And there won't be no horses around for you to fall off a."

"Well, he got spooked is all. I could a rode him if he hadn't a reared up like that."

"You don't need to be on no horse, Freddy. It's too dangerous."

"I know. I know. I just wanted to take one last ride is all."

"I know, Cowboy. You always been my cowboy, Ennis. That's why I love you." Jack whispered just loud enough for Ennis to hear.

Ennis choked up at the sound of his name again as well as the words. "I always loved you too, Jack, I swear."

THE END

93


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